It is the single busiest railway service in the UK
Credit: TfL
More than 500 million passenger journeys have been made on the Elizabeth line in its first two and a half years, making it the single busiest railway service in the UK.
More than 90% of customers surveyed as part of a Transport for London (TfL) evaluation study say that the Elizabeth Line has had a positive impact in their area, with many welcoming the increased transport connectivity to London suburbs and improved access to Heathrow Airport.
The evaluation study interim findings report has also found that improved cross-river connections are particularly welcomed around the Abbey Wood branch, where there has been an 11% increase in access to employment. There has also been a 6% uplift in job accessibility along the Heathrow terminals branch. Overall, 62% of customers surveyed say that the opening of the railway has had a positive impact on their access to employment opportunities.
According to a study by real estate company CBRE, there have been almost 70,000 homes sold around the Elizabeth Line stations since 2009, when construction of the line started. Of these, more than 2,300 per year were new build homes.
Across all the London stations on the Elizabeth Line (excluding Zone 1), average house prices grew by 80% from 2008 to 2023, which is a 6% higher growth rate compared with the wider boroughs. Between 2022, when the line opened, and 2023, rents around the stations increased by 12%, 2% more than growth in the wider market.
Meanwhile, additional analysis by TfL has also found that between 2015 and 2022, there were 378,000 jobs created within one kilometre of Elizabeth line stations. During this period, the highest job growth in central London occurred around Liverpool Street Station, as it prepared to welcome even more activity as part of the Elizabeth line.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The Elizabeth line has been a game-changer for the city, transforming travel in London and unlocking investment through the creation of new jobs and homes. With its growing popularity, the Elizabeth line is proving itself to be essential to London and the UK’s transport network and helping to build a better, more prosperous London for everyone.
“The evidence from the success of the Elizabeth line is clear – when you invest in high-quality transport infrastructure it can provide huge benefits for increased jobs, growth and the new housing we need in London and across the country.”
Andy Lord, London’s transport commissioner, said: “The Elizabeth line has truly transformed life and travel in London and the South East by dramatically improving transport links, cutting journey times, providing additional capacity, and transforming accessibility.
“The findings from these reports confirm that the railway is powering important regeneration through new jobs and homes. As we look ahead to the next 500 million journeys, we will continue to focus on improving things for our customers, to ensure we remain London’s most popular railway.”
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