August Bank Holiday TfL ridership was highest since pandemic

London Underground is celebrating 160 years of serving the capital

August Bank Holiday ridership figures for buses and tubes reached the highest level since the pandemic, Transport for London has said.

Bus travel during the long weekend was up almost 10% on the equivalent weekend in 2022.

Tube journeys were also up by about 6%.

TfL said higher passenger numbers were due to big events in the capital that weekend such as the 75th Windrush anniversary at Notting Hill Carnival.

Millions travelled to west London to commemorate the 75th Windrush anniversary at Notting Hill Carnival

Currently, between three to four million Tube journeys are made every day, or about 85% of pre-Covid levels.

According to TfL data, a number of weekends during the summer saw stations in central London hit pre-pandemic levels, if not exceed them.

Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: "London has been roaring back this summer, with Londoners and tourists from around the world using TfL's network to explore our capital's cultural gems."

TfL hopes the annual high passenger numbers will continue into the autumn as events such as the Open House Festival attract people to the capital.

The annual Open House Festival will run from 6 September to 17 September, and more than 600 sites across zones 1-9 will be opening up to the general public.

Phineas Harper, chief executive of Open House Festival, said: "For over three decades the Open House Festival has made exploring London more open and accessible for tens of thousands of visitors every September.

"This year there's a fantastically diverse array of open days and walking tours in the programme that anyone can book on to for free."