Woolwich Elizabeth line station usage grows to 11.5 million trips in 2023
New data from Transport for London has revealed usage of Elizabeth line stations in Greenwich borough for 2023.
Abbey Wood was pretty close behind at 8.6 million journeys – though that station is also served by Southeastern and Thameslink.
Since the advent of the Elizabeth line (plus all-day staffing at ticket barriers) counted journeys at Abbey Wood station have nearly tripled compared to levels seen in the mid to late 2010s.
In addition to Woolwich’s 11,480,117 journeys, Woolwich Arsenal DLR station saw 5,914,341 counted taps.
Popularity
The popularity of both Woolwich and Abbey Wood has been evident for some time with a passenger queuing system trialled at Woolwich.
The sheer scale of development nearby will ensure demand continues to be strong. Just this week I covered demolition work beginning at the old Catholic Club nearby with 298 student rooms coming.
Next to that site Berkeley are about to submit plans for 660 homes. Two further towers are also rising beside the Thames.
The new leisure centre is well underway with housing planned to the rear. The current leisure centre will be redeveloped after closure.
Various projects are due to start including Woolwich Exchange which includes the covered market site plus Brookhill Estate redevelopment.
Towers have been approved above the eastern end of the station at a development named Armourers Court, while homes have been approved in front and behind the Tesco superstore on General Gordon Square.
To the west rebuilding work of Morris Walk estate is well underway while to the east three separate developments totalling 2,600 homes are all underway.
Abbey Wood
Abbey Wood is drawing users in from a wide area which could increase as new express Superloop route SL3 now serves the station.
In the immediate area a new development has just been unveiled close to the station.
While revamped plans for a site to the north a short walk away has just been submitted.
This sits at the corner of Harrow Manorway and Eynsham Drive.
Lastly the former Post Office has now been demolished with housing plans on site.
Even Peabody are slowly, slowly apparently planning to do something, maybe, at Binsey Walk.
And you never know they may pull their finger out and do something with various other plots near Abbey Wood station such as the old Harrow Inn pub site, Cross Quarter Phase 2, the former site of shops they demolished opposite Sainsbury’s, all along Harrow Manorway and the former Coraline Walk, vacant houses east of that and on it goes. They’ve only had a decade to work it out.
Despite failings of Peabody to provide housing, Abbey Wood and Woolwich passenger numbers will only increase in future as more is built and more travel in to use services.
The lizzy has become a special hell. Some mornings, it’s impossible to even get on a train at Woolwich. Train size and frequency need to increase pretty soon with all these developments going up. It doesn’t help that the bus service has basically collapsed in rush hour too, with buses not stopping because they are packed.
In regards to the queue system, I’m not convinced they trialled it. I travelled a number of times during the window they said they had alloted and nothing happened with the exception of the disappearance of the notices. My partner, who travels at slightly different times, said the same thing.
Train sizes on the Lizzy line are already maxed out, given that the trains generally extend along the whole length of the platforms. Not sure what more TfL or engineers can do about capacity on the Lizzy line.
When it is silly-busy going West from Woolwich, I just go East, stay on the train at Abbey Wood or skip across the platform for the next one leaving. Gauranteed a seat that way even if it is a bit of added time to the journey.
The platforms are designed for two extra carriages at least between Abbey Wood and Paddington.
Thought the factory that makes them looks like going under any day now (Derby Alstom) die to govt failing to order new trains for years so that options could be fading fast.
New entrance and exit to the east is so badly needed
Drop off and collection zone needed at Woolwich Station – impossible to stop to even let disabled travellers out of the car