Travel in London Travel in London

3. Travel trends by mode
3. Travel trends by mode
3.1 Introduction and contents
Chapter 2 of this report looked at trends in aggregate travel demand and mode
shares in London, and considered some of the factors underlying recent changing
travel patterns. The overall picture since 2000, and since 2008 in particular, is one
of strong growth in London’s population and travel demand. This growth has been
at a faster rate than envisaged by the MTS, and has affected the main travel modes
in different ways.
This chapter looks more specifically at travel demand trends as they have affected
each of the principal modes of transport. Chapter 4 of this report then looks at
corresponding trends in service supply and operational performance for each of
these modes.
This chapter covers trends updated to the 2014 calendar year or the 2014/15
financial year, with the focus on changes over the nominal term of the MTS to date,
namely from 2008 to 2014/15.
3.2 Key modal trends
• On the Underground, usage growth has been consistently strong for many
years. There was an aggregate 19.8 per cent growth in Underground journey
stages between 2008/09 and 2014/15 – equivalent to 3.1 per cent per year on
average, and a net 25.5 per cent growth in passenger kilometres travelled. The
annual total of 1,305 million journeys in 2014/15 was the highest ever recorded
on the Underground, with a 3.2 per cent increase over the latest year. As well as
population and employment growth, this has also reflected the Tube upgrade
programme, which has significantly increased capacity on several Underground
lines.
• Following very strong growth in the early years of the last decade, the upward
trend in bus patronage has levelled off in recent years, at least in part reflecting
a similar trend in service supply. Between 2008/09 and 2014/15 bus passenger
stages grew by 6.2 per cent, equivalent to one per cent per year, and bus
passenger kilometres grew by 6.0 per cent. This trend broadly corresponds to
that for bus service supply, as described in chapter 4 of this report of this
report. Nevertheless, bus patronage in terms of passenger kilometres in
2014/15 stood at 78.8 per cent higher than at the start of the century in
2000/01. More than half of all bus journeys in England are now made in London.
• On the TfL Rail modes the period since 2008 has also been marked by strong
growth, reflecting substantial capacity enhancements to these networks. On the
DLR there was a net increase of 67.1 per cent in journey stages and 86.8 per
cent in kilometres travelled between 2008/09 and 2014/15, an average growth
rate of 8.9 per cent per year (journey stages). The new London Overground
network, largely established over the period since 2008, has seen a 321.4 per
cent increase in journey stages over the period, on a like-for-like basis,
equivalent to 27.1 per cent per year – reflecting the rapid development and
enhancement of this network, including improved customer service aspects.
Patronage on Tramlink increased by 13.7 per cent between 2008/09 and
2014/15 in terms of journey stages, equivalent to 2.2 per cent per year. Growth
rates in the very latest year (2013/14-2014/15) were 8.6 per cent on the DLR
49 Travel in London, Report 8