Tube passenger numbers reach record 1.1 billion

London Underground carried a record 1.1 billion passengers in the past year, new figures showed today.

During the year ending March 31, the Tube saw about 42 million more passenger journeys than the previous year.

The network also broke its record for the number of passengers carried over a four-week period - topping 90.6 million in the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

LU said it had seen a rise in passenger numbers of 14% in seven years and 40% in 15 years.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "These record-breaking passenger numbers are proof of how vital our Tube system is, which is why it was so important I persuaded the Government to protect funding for the upgrades.

"We are running more trains than ever before, while at the same time carrying out a massive amount of engineering work across the network.

"We are investing in new trains, new signalling and new track, which will be key if we are to be able to keep up with the ravenous demand for Tube services of our ever-increasing population."

Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground and London Rail, said: "London Underground's network has exceeded 1.1 billion for the first time in its 148-year history, as it plays a vital role in supporting London's recovery from the recession.

"The combination of this huge increase in passengers and a reliance on some of the oldest railway infrastructure in the world does of course present a number of challenges for the Tube, which is why our work to upgrade it is so critical for London."