London tube passengers reach record 1.1bn in 12 months

The number of passengers jam-packed on the London Underground has hit 1.1 billion for the first time, rush-hour passengers will not be surprised to hear.

New figures released today show 42 million more journeys during the 12 months to March 31 than the previous year, a 14 per cent rise in seven years and 40 per cent in 15 years.

The Underground also broke its record for passengers carried over a four-week period, topping 90 million in the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

Capacity is being increased by almost a third over the next 10 years with new trains, beginning with the first-ever air-conditioned carriages now running on the Metropolitan line.