F/O from 1717-2021 Thank you for the information provided in your response dated 11.12.20. However I would like to make a request for some detail to support the figures you provided. What is the annual passenger usage of Taplow station in 2019 and 2020? What is the percentage of ticketless travel through Taplow station in 2019 and 2020? If such figures are available. What is the system for compiling such information? I am sorry to press you again but I am anxious to understand if, in the current situation, money provided by the taxpayer is being spent only on necessary projects which could not wait until a more appropriate time. Demands on taxpayers money are currently considerable. What cutbacks have been made in Crossrail planning to take into consideration the current and future demands on monies available. Is it possible to demonstrate that the specific installation of gatelines at Taplow station will provide a return commensurate with the project costs? I request the above information under the guidelines of FOI.

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TfL Ref 1844-2021

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14 December 2020 asking for information about Taplow station passenger numbers.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked:

What is the annual passenger usage of Taplow station in 2019 and 2020?

What is the percentage of ticketless travel through Taplow station in 2019 and 2020? If such figures are available.

What is the system for compiling such information?

I am sorry to press you again but I am anxious to understand if, in the current situation, money provided by the taxpayer is being spent only on necessary projects which could not wait until a more appropriate time.

Demands on taxpayers money are currently considerable. What cutbacks have been made in Crossrail planning to take into consideration the current and future demands on monies available.

Is it possible to demonstrate that the specific installation of gatelines at Taplow station will provide a return commensurate with the project costs?

Our response is as follows:

What is the annual passenger usage of Taplow station in 2019 and 2020?

Annual passenger entry and exit data for Taplow station is available from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) website: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage.

The latest numbers were published on the 1 December 2020 – see below for Taplow station:

2019-20 Entries & Exits TOTAL: 320,926

2018-19 Entries & Exits TOTAL: 311,900

What is the percentage of ticketless travel through Taplow station in 2019 and 2020? If such figures are available.

As advised in our previous response, ticketless travel on TfL Rail services between Paddington and Reading is 2.8%, whereas between Liverpool Street and Shenfield where all stations are gated, it is 0.9%. TfL Rail only started running trains to Taplow in December 2019 so we don’t hold a reliable figure we can provide yet for Taplow station alone.

TfL takes fare evasion extremely seriously. It is a serious criminal offence that could lead to prosecution, a criminal record and a fine of up to £1,000. Fare evasion costs TfL around £100m a year which could be invested in the network. The money lost to fare evasion every year could fund additional members of frontline staff or police officers on the network.

What is the system for compiling such information?

Every quarter, TfL undertake a survey of passengers on the line. The surveyors will find out the start and end location of the passenger surveyed and will check they have a valid ticket. The results are then collated and the Ticketless Travel percentage will be calculated. (These surveys have not taken place since April 2020 due to the pandemic restrictions).

What cutbacks have been made in Crossrail planning to take into consideration the current and future demands on monies available.

At the beginning of December, it was announced that a funding and financing package for the final phase of the Crossrail project had been agreed. Under the agreement, the Greater London Authority will borrow up to £825 million from the Department for Transport, which will be given to Transport for London (TfL) as a grant for the purposes of the Crossrail project.

The £825m allows Crossrail to continue delivering the final stages of the project while also working to drive down the total costs and bring the railway into passenger service as quickly as possible. TfL is ensuring that further independent analysis of costs is carried out.

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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