I would like to request data on passenger numbers for the underground during the day across each station. This may include: - Check ins/out at stations/turnstiles; - No of people at a station for a given time; - Any other data which would indicate how many people are in the stations and carriages. The requested period would be during the coronavirus pandemic (Feb-present), but it would be useful to have historical data for comparison (going back a year or two). It would also ideally be a live datafeed, or updated regularly, to monitor change. I would like to plot out the data to monitor the impact of covid on TfL and the potential for optimising the service around key worker journeys to ensure social distancing. I have a startup working on optimisation for bike-sharing schemes (vennle.com) and we would like to help in some way at this time, hence the request. If I can provide any more details please email me.

---

TfL Ref: FOI-0054-2021

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 10^th April 2020 asking for information about passenger numbers on the London Underground.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.

Specifically you asked:

“I would like to request data on passenger numbers for the underground during the day across each station.

This may include:

- Check ins/out at stations/turnstiles;

- No of people at a station for a given time;

- Any other data which would indicate how many people are in the stations and carriages.

The requested period would be during the coronavirus pandemic (Feb-present), but it would be useful to have historical data for comparison (going back a year or two). It would also ideally be a live datafeed, or updated regularly, to monitor change.”

I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require.

However, we are refusing your request under section 14(1) of the FOI Act. We consider that providing the requested information would place an unreasonable burden on us at this time. As you will be aware, it is essential for London, and in particular for all critical workers, that we continue to provide a safe transport network that enables them to make the journeys they need to and our staff are working hard to support them and protect all Londoners. We consider that answering this request would represent a disproportionate effort and would require the redirection of limited specialist resources and the attention of staff away from their core functions who could be supporting other essential activity.

We do wish to clarify that whilst we consider that your request falls under section 14(1) of the FOI Act, this does not reflect a conclusion that it has been your intention to place an undue burden on our resources.

In applying the exemption we have been steered by the guidance on its use issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that can be found on its website here:

https://ico.org.uk/media/1198/dealing-with-vexatious-requests.pdf

To be clear, it is the current context in which the request has been made that is central to our decision to apply the exemption set out in section 14(1) in response to your request. The exemption is being used specifically at this time due to the need for colleagues in our Analytics team to focus their resource on the response to the Coronavirus. The team is working around the clock, including at weekends and bank holidays, to support analysis for UK Government, London Resilience, and our own operations. This work is vital to ensure that TfL can support the essential journeys that need to be made. In the current circumstances we believe that diverting resource away from the Analytics team would cause a disproportionate and unjustified level of disruption to their critical work.

However, that said, note that we make journey data publicly available on the London Data Store. It is aggregated by period, and prepared by mode and goes back to 2010. This will give a context of the historical pattern of journeys on the network. Currently, the information is available up to the end of the 2019/20 financial year, and further periods will be published in due course:

https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/public-transport-journeys-type-transport

As you are aware, the Government has announced a series of measures to tackle the coronavirus. It is essential for London, and in particular for all critical workers, that we continue to provide a safe transport network that enables them to make the journeys they need to.

In current circumstances, we are not able to answer FOI requests readily and we ask that you please do not make a request to us at present. Should you wish to submit a revised request please note that our response time will be affected by the current situation and so you may wish to reconsider the timing of this request.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

Back to top

---