Transport for London passenger journeys, by mode 2018-2024

In the fiscal year 2023/24, the number of passenger journeys on public transport operated by Transport for London (TfL) amounted to almost 3.6 billion, an increase of around nine percent compared to the previous year.

Passenger numbers had dropped by two-thirds in the first year of COVID-19 pandemic, from 3.8 billion in 19/20 to 1.3 billion in 20/21. The more recent trend has been towards recovery, but as of 23/24 passenger numbers remained around seven percent below pre-pandemic figures.

Revenue not yet back on track

As passenger numbers fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, so did revenue from passenger fares. Revenue from ticket sales on the London Underground fell by three-quarters at the beginning of the pandemic. Similarly to passenger numbers, fare revenue has remained below pre-pandemic levels, despite rising again. As of 2023,/24 the London Underground reported selling tickets worth 2.5 billion British pounds.

Elizabeth Line - a passenger favorite

The full length of the new Elizabeth Line, originally named Crossrail, was completed in 2022 and has been successful in attracting passengers since. The suburban route, running between Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west of London to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the East, recorded 210 million passengers in 2023/24. The Elizabeth Line has not only been successful at increasing passenger numbers, it is also the Transport for London service with the highest passenger satisfaction, scoring an evaluation score of 81 percent in Q4 of 2023/24.