London's Elizabeth line at three: data analysis

• Ridership: 546.7 million total journeys since 2022, surpassing London Overground (474.6 million).
• Accessibility: All 41 stations are step-free, compared to 34 per cent on the Underground.
• Public approval: 55 per cent of Londoners rate it positively—the highest favourability of any of TfL’s rail service.
• Safety: 164 injuries reported for customers since opening.

Figure 1 shows quarterly passenger journeys rising from 21.8 million (April–June 2022) to 63.3 million (October–December 2024). Transport for London(TfL) has reported that growth aligns with phased route expansions, post-pandemic recovery,1 and improved service frequency.2

Figure 2 ranks the Elizabeth line as the UK’s busiest single-operator service (546.7 million journeys since 2022), reflecting its rapid adoption as a cross-city connector. The chart uses Office of Rail and Road (ORR) data to show the top five services by passenger numbers (London Underground is not included in this dataset).

A prior analysis of Elizabeth line between September 2022 and January 2023, published by TfL, revealed that around 19 per cent of Elizabeth line passengers transferred from the London Underground, contributing to reduced demand on some lines — including a 40 per cent drop on the Central line at Ealing Broadway and a five per cent decline on the Bakerloo line between Paddington and Oxford Circus.3

Of these transfers, 37 per cent came from the Central line, 24 per cent from the Jubilee line, and 18 per cent from the Piccadilly line (Figure 3). While these shifts suggest the Elizabeth line may be relieving pressure on other parts of the network, further research is needed to fully assess the long-term impact on congestion and travel behaviour.

In autumn 2023, 56 per cent of passengers on the Elizabeth Line stood during busy weekday periods, while 23 per cent stood across London’s wider rail network during defined peak hours. These figures are not directly comparable due to differences in measurement windows, methods, and standing capacity assumptions. The Elizabeth Line, for example, uses a standing capacity standard of four passengers per square metre and remained within its planned limits, despite the higher proportion of standing passengers.4

The Elizabeth line launched with a 95 per cent punctuality rate, which later dipped to 85 per cent in quarter three of 2023/24 before recovering to 90 per cent (Figure 4) in quarter four of 2023/24. This is based on the Public Performance Measure (PPM), under which a train is considered on time if arriving less than five minutes late at its destination.  TfL has reported that recent improvements reflect operational changes—including infrastructure upgrades in the Thames Valley and a major signalling software update—though fluctuations still highlight reliability challenges amid rising demand.5

A survey conducted in November 2024 by YouGov revealed that 55 per cent of Londoners had a favourable view of the Elizabeth line,6 which was higher than any other individual Tube line, the Docklands Light Railway or London Overground. Overall, 29 per cent of Londoners in the survey stated that the Elizabeth line as the ‘best’ of these rail service as shown in Figure 5. 

All 41 Elizabeth line stations are step-free from street to platform, compared to a 34 per cent average across the London Underground network.7 According to New London Architecture, “the Elizabeth line has set a new standard for accessibility”,8 positioning it as a leader in inclusive transport infrastructure.

Since opening, there have been 164 reported injuries for customers at Elizabeth line stations (161 minor, three serious), according to a recent Freedom of Information request.9 While comparative data is not available, the following table provides a breakdown by severity, incident type, station area, and top stations. Notable incidents include a trap-and-drag accident at Ealing Broadway in 2024, which underscores ongoing safety risks at the platform-train interface.10

There were 1,435 reported offences on the Elizabeth line in 2024. The level of crime in 2024 represents an increase in comparison to 2023, when there were 1,078 reported offences, (Figure 7), a 33.1 per cent year-on-year rise. The crime rate rose to 9.7 incidents per million passenger journeys, up from 8.2, driven largely by increases in theft of public property, public order offences, and violence—with public order and violence incidents occurring predominantly between the afternoon and evening.11

Since opening in May 2022, the Elizabeth line has made up an increasing share of TfL’s reported passenger income. It generated £43 million (five per cent) in quarter one of 2022/23, rising to £160 million (13 per cent) in quarter three of 2024/25 as shown in Figure 8. For the full 2023/24 financial year, passenger income from the line totalled £606 million, or 12 per cent of TfL’s overall passenger income, compared with seven per cent in 2022/23.12

Figure 9 shows the number of full-time employees (including non-permanent staff) working on the Elizabeth line at the end of each March since 2022. In March 2022, shortly before the line opened in May 2022, the Elizabeth line employed 342 people, accounting for 1.29 per cent of the total TfL workforce. By March 2024, this had increased to 385 employees (1.39 per cent). The most recent figure, from December 2024, reports 405 employees, or 1.46 per cent of all TfL staff.13

From 25 May 2025, operation of the Elizabeth line transitions to GTS Rail Operations Limited under a seven-year contract, taking over from current operator MTR. GTS Rail Operations Limited is a joint venture between Go Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation.14  

[1] TfL, Travel in London: 2024 Annual Overview, December 2024. [page 55]