Londoners choose Monday to work from home as Tube passenger numbers drop

The government will be setting out its long-term plan for living with Covid-19 this month

Londoners appear to be staying away from the office on Mondays despite working from home guidance being dropped.

  • Passenger numbers on London Underground were 55% of their pre-pandemic level on Monday February 7

  • That compares with 60% or 61% from Tuesday to Friday

  • The previous week saw levels of 54% on Monday, then 57% or 59% from Tuesday to Friday

The Government announced on January 19 that it was dropping its advice for people in England to work from home.

In the week of the announcement, passenger numbers on the Underground averaged 46% of pre-pandemic level on Monday, rising to 51% by Friday.

The same pattern has occurred in each subsequent week, suggesting Monday is still many people’s preferred day for avoiding the Tube.

The figures, from the Department for Transport, show a similar trend on London buses, though the overall percentages are higher and there is less of a contrast between the start and end of the week.

Passenger levels on buses in the capital were 75% on Monday last week and had risen to 77% by Friday.

In the week of the Government’s announcement, the level was 71% on Monday and had reached 73% by Friday.

What it's like being the only one in the office when everyone works from home

The trend is not evident in the rest of the country.

Passenger numbers on bus services outside London were estimated to be at 77% of pre-pandemic level on Monday and Friday last week, rising as high as 80% on Tuesday.

The previous week saw 74% on Monday and Friday, peaking at 77% on Tuesday.

Provisional estimates for all national rail services in Britain show passenger numbers were at 62% of pre-pandemic levels on Monday, Tuesday and Friday last week, with 63% on Wednesday and Thursday – the highest percentages since Christmas.