Research has suggested that the Elizabeth line has seen the largest rise in passenger journeys in Great Britain, despite delays and cancellations. West Somerset Railway found that there has been a 40 per cent rise in people using the £18.8 billion railway in the last recorded quarter (October to December 2023).
In February, Network Rail admitted that services have ‘not been good or reliable enough for passengers’ on the western leg of the Elizabeth Line and in the Thames Valley. In response to this, officials put in place an ‘accelerated performance plan to address the decline in performance as a priority’.
The strategy, bosses added, will deliver ‘improvements in the reliability of services and reductions in delays over time’. Network Rail acknowledged that there had been a ‘continued increase in total delay caused by incidents’, and said it was ‘determined to address this’.
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Derby-based railway stock manufacturer Altsom announced in April that it is in discussions with the Government and Transport for London (TfL) to bring more trains onto the Elizabeth line to keep up with passenger demand.
A post on X read: “We are now in a period of intense discussions with the UK Government and Transport for London about a potential train order for the Elizabeth line, given the levels of passenger demand. This could help secure the future of our Derby Litchurch Lane site.”
It continued: “All parties have agreed to conclude discussions as soon as possible – and no later than the end of May. We will be making no further comment at this time.“
Increases on other London networks
According to West Somerset Railway, the London Overground, meanwhile, saw a 20 per cent jump in journeys, with 46.7 million recorded in the last quarter of 2023. The Heathrow Express saw the smallest increase with five per cent and 1.2 million journeys recorded.
There was a 13 per cent increase in Thameslink services, according to the analysis.
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