Elizabeth line stations in SE London show strong passenger growth

Figures from Transport for London show growth on Elizabeth line service continued strongly over the summer after a successful first month of services.

Back in August I covered data from a Freedom of Information request showing passenger numbers in the first month of service.

A subsequent request has shown further strong growth at Abbey Wood and Woolwich over the following two months.

Before Crossrail begun, Abbey Wood saw 220,368 passenger journeys in April 2022 using Southeastern and Thameslink. The first full month of passenger journeys in June 393,482 journeys

In July that jumped to 497,233 and then in August the station saw 529,723 journeys

It’s a similar story at Woolwich in terms of growth, though of course the station is self-contained and does not include other services.

I don’t have full calendar month of June, but for the first full month of services between 24th May to 23rd June 526,871 passenger journeys were made. For the entire month of July it was 626,947 then 694,650 in August.

In terms of usage across the line, TfL revealed that fare revenue is currently running above budgeted expectations.

Later this month Bond Street station will open and then in November the east and west legs will be connected to the core, with later services running and trains operating on Sunday.

Abbey Wood

While growth is great to see Greenwich Council have somehow been caught on the hop despite it being a few years late.

More drivers are heading in to park near the station in Abbey Wood with some roads clogged with parked cars.

Greenwich Council consulted on a wider Controlled Parking Zone back in 2017. After rounds of consultation, reports and spending a fair few quid they agreed to widen the scope – then never implemented it.

By the time the Elizabeth line eventually opened Greenwich still hadn’t implemented anything, so now they’re spending yet more money on more consultation and more reports to do exactly what they had already agreed.

Yep, they’re doing this while seemingly happy to let a 3,000-home estate fall apart in Abbey Wood near the station. No money for basic maintenance in one of the country’s most deprived areas (yep, not just in London) but money for another consultation.

Way to go Greenwich. In a not unrelated issue, last week Greenwich Cabinet were presented with a report show Greenwich Parking Department again making another hash of their budget.

Ask the authority for a few quid for basic in places like Abbey Wood though? We’re skint they cry. I wonder why.

Meanwhile the new public realm around Abbey Wood station continues to degrade with little maintenance seen around the station in the shadow of new towers being built.

In coming days there’s another consultation on a development in the town bringing around 550 homes is set to begin which I’ll cover soon.