London Underground closer to capacity at weekends as people look to ‘break monotony’ of staying home

Trains are returning to capacity faster on weekends than weekdays, amid fears people are prioritising returning to pubs over work.

Figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that in the past two weeks in London use of the tube was closer to normal levels during the weekend.

On Saturday July 18, occupancy on the tube was at 29 per cent of normal levels compared to a range of 20 to 24 per cent during the week, while bus usage was at 50 per cent compared to 40 to 45 per cent.

Transport for London (TfL) said the overall passenger numbers were still higher during the week than at the weekend and the proportion of people travelling on all days is gradually increasing.

Richard Lim, an analyst at Retail Economics, said this could be an indication that people are travelling to visit pubs and restaurants or take shopping trips while continuing to work from home.

He added: “I think at the weekend people are looking for something to do just to break the monotony of staying at home.”

A DfT spokesman said that its priority was keeping passengers safe.

He added: “We are also working at pace with industry to examine how we can help make sure part-time and flexible commuters are provided with better value and more convenient options.”