The number of morning rush-hour commuters using the London Underground has plunged by more than a quarter in just a week as Britons switch back to working from home and shun going into the office.
Around one million passengers entered or exited the Tube network up to 10am this morning, which was down 26 per cent on the same period on Tuesday last week and less than half (45 per cent) of normal pre-pandemic levels.
Transport for London reported that bus usage across the capital also fell this morning to 1.16million Oyster or contactless card taps, which was down 8 per cent on last week but still at 70 per cent of pre-Covid numbers.
The difference between Tubes and buses is partially because the latter are more regularly used by children going to school as normal and lower-paid Londoners in key worker roles that require them to travel in to their workplace.
While the total number of people on the TfL network today was roughly equal to yesterday, it was a bigger fall because Mondays have been generally quieter in recent months as more people tend to work from home then.
TfL, which runs the capital’s buses and Tubes, yesterday recorded an 18 per cent reduction in Tube journeys up to 10am, while bus usage dropped 6 per cent. However, across all of yesterday, the week-on-week fall was only 12 per cent on Tubes and 2 per cent on buses, mostly because leisure travel has not fallen as much as commuting.
Transport bosses in the capital added that the biggest reductions came from stations in the City of London where there were around 318,400 entry and exits yesterday compared to around 415,300 last week.
In terms of Tube stations linked specifically to shopping locations, TfL saw nearly 541,000 entry and exits yesterday, compared to around 581,000 entry and exits during the same period last week.
Meanwhile the congestion level reported by TomTom in the capital between 7am and 8am today was 48 per cent – the lowest for that period on a Tuesday since before the summer holidays, when half-term is excluded.
A very quiet London Euston train station this morning as people continue to follow Government advice to work from home
A quiet Piccadilly line train carriage on the London Underground today during the morning rush hour
People pass through London Waterloo train station during the morning rush-hour today amid the work from home guidance
UNDERGROUND | BUS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Entries + Exits (Up until 10am) | % of normal | % change on the week before | Boarding Taps (Up until 10am) | % of normal | % change on the week before | |
Monday, November 29 | 1.24m | 53% | -1% | 1.21m | 72% | -2% |
Monday, December 6 | 1.22m | 52% | -1% | 1.21m | 72% | unchanged |
Tuesday, December 7 | 1.35m | 56% | -2% | 1.26m | 73% | -1% |
Wednesday. December 8 | 1.35m | 56% | -3% | 1.25m | 73% | -2% |
Thursday, December 9 | 1.31m | 56% | -5% | 1.24m | 74% | -2% |
Friday. December 10 | 1.076m | 52% | -3% | 1.18m | 73% | -1% |
Monday, December 13 | 1.00m | 46% | -18% | 1.15m | 71% | -6% |
Tuesday, December 14 | 1.00m | 45% | -26% | 1.16m | 70% | -8% |
People walk along the platform at Camden Town station on the London Underground’s Northern line this morning
A quiet Piccadilly line train carriage on the London Underground today during the morning rush hour
The figures represent the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flowing conditions. A 48 per cent level therefore means a 30-minute trip will take 14 minutes more than with no traffic.
In comparison, congestion for the same period in London on a Tuesday has been between 53 and 54 per cent for the last five weeks in a row, and peaked at 66 per cent on September 14, soon after the schools went back.
In half-term it fell to 35 per cent, while in the summer holidays it floated between 24 and 27 per cent. The last time it was lower than 48 per cent outside of term-time on a Tuesday was July 20, when it was 34 per cent.
Road and rail use has plummeted this week as the Government’s return to working from home guidance kicked in, with traffic levels in towns and cities across England falling by as much as nearly half.
The congestion figure the 7am to 8am period in London yesterday was 42 per cent – and while this was a lower figure than today, it was still the quietest term-time Monday morning rush hour since September 6.
DATE | Birmingham | Leeds-Bradford | Liverpool | London | Manchester | Newcastle | Sheffield |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tue 2 Nov | 49% | 35% | 27% | 51% | 44% | 30% | 35% |
Tue 9 Nov | 41% | 36% | 25% | 54% | 43% | 33% | 36% |
Tue 16 Nov | 42% | 41% | 27% | 53% | 51% | 32% | 34% |
Tue 23 Nov | 42% | 36% | 27% | 54% | 46% | 36% | 35% |
Tue 30 Nov | 47% | 46% | 31% | 54% | 48% | 35% | 38% |
Tue 7 Dec | 38% | 35% | 27% | 53% | 44% | 33% | 39% |
Tue 14 Dec | 47% | 31% | 27% | 48% | 34% | 25% | 29% |
TomTom data found London’s roads were the quietest they have been on a term-time Tuesday rush-hour morning since July
As for other UK cities, the congestion level from 7am to 8am today was 47 per cent in Birmingham, 34 per cent in Manchester, 31 per cent in Leeds, 29 per cent in Sheffield, 27 per cent in Liverpool and 25 per cent in Newcastle.
All of these figures were below the same time period on Tuesday last week, apart from Liverpool which was unchanged.
During a press conference last Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people in England to work from home where possible from yesterday, which brought the country in line with the rest of the UK.
Network Rail also reported plummeting commuter numbers at platforms during the traditional rush hour period of 6am to 9.30am yesterday.
Of the stations it gave figures for, Cannon Street in the City of London saw the largest week-on-week decline, with demand down 38 per cent.
This was followed by Leeds (35 per cent) and Waterloo and King’s Cross stations in London, which saw drops in demand of 34 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
Elsewhere, there was a 24 per cent drop in demand at Birmingham New Street, 20 per cent at Manchester Piccadilly and 11 per cent at Edinburgh Waverley.
The figures are particularly bad news for the rail industry, which continues to be bailed out by taxpayers to the tune of billions of pounds.
It raised the prospect of services having to be cut or never returning to pre-pandemic levels on some routes to ensure they remain financially viable.
TfL has warned that a whole Tube line may need to be shut or 100 bus routes axed for current service levels to continue if a new bailout package is not agreed with ministers.
The latest package ran out on Saturday, but ministers yesterday confirmed it has been extended until this weekend while a deal is thrashed out.