The Greater London suburbs 'leading the way' back to the office

The Greater London suburbs ‘leading the way’ back to the office: How Tube stations have seen up to 20% more passengers in week after WFH was axed… while trains across Britain are just 5% busier

Biggest week-on-week passenger number rises at Underground stations are generally in upmarket suburbs
Largest weekly increase across any Tube station at Zone 5 Central line station Buckhurst Hill in Essex up 20%
Others seeing big rises were Ruislip Gardens in Zone 5 and Chalfont & Latimer in Zone 8, both up 17% in week
TfL reveals morning commuter levels are up 10% this week but are still at only 51% of pre-pandemic levels
Rail Delivery Group says demand for peak time trains has increased by 5% since Government lifted WFH

Commuters living in London’s upmarket suburbs are heading back into the office with Underground usage now up 10 per cent in a week after working from home guidance was lifted, figures revealed today.

Data compiled by Transport for London exclusively for MailOnline revealed that the biggest week-on-week rises at its Tube stations have mostly been in locations where commuters tend to travel in from the outskirts of the city.

The biggest rise in usage across any Tube station this Tuesday compared to the previous Tuesday was seen at Buckhurst Hill in Essex which is a Zone 5 station on the Central line and saw a 20 per cent weekly increase.

Others also seeing large rises in passenger numbers were Ruislip Gardens on the Central line in West London in Zone 5 and Chalfont & Latimer on the Metropolitan line in Zone 8, which were both up 17 per cent week-on-week.

In fourth place was West Acton on the Central line in West London in Zone 3 where usage was up 15 per cent in a week, and following that was Theydon Bois on the Central line in Essex in Zone 6 which rose by 14 per cent.

All five stations are popular with commuters making their way into Central London, many of whom benefit from cheaper fares than those coming in on ticketed National Rail services because they live within the Oyster zone.

TfL also said that for yesterday morning up to 10am, there were around 1.17million entry and exits on the Underground – up 10 per cent on the previous Wednesday and 51 per cent of normal pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile across all UK train operators, the Rail Delivery Group said demand for peak time trains has increased by only 5 per cent since the Government lifted the guidance for people in England to work from home last week.

It comes as property experts revealed today that in London they had ‘noted an uptick in homeowners who moved out to the countryside at the start of the pandemic, but who missed the city and have now returned’.

Commuters walk through London Waterloo train station this morning as Plan B measures are lifted in England

Commuters at London Liverpool Street train station this morning as the final Plan B measures are lifted in England

On London buses, up to 10am yesterday morning, TfL told MailOnline that there were around 1.2million boarding taps – up 1 per cent compared to last Wednesday and 70 per cent of normal.

At Tube stations with links to the City of London, such as Mansion House, Aldgate, Canary Wharf and Holborn, there were 115,000 entries and exits yesterday morning, which represents just 36 per cent of normal demand.

One in SIX white collar workers consider new job because bosses want them to return to office

One in six white collar workers want to quit their jobs this year because their employer is forcing them to return to the office, new research suggests.

A survey of 1,000 employees by messaging app Slack indicated that 29 per cent of workers were considering changing jobs this year with those in legal jobs, IT and telecoms, sales, and media and marketing are most likely to make a move.

While the most common reason cited was a lack of pay rises and bonuses, 16 per cent of those surveyed – or one in six – said they wanted to quit because they were being forced back into the office. Meanwhile, 20 per cent feel their boss favours those who work in the office over people who work remotely, said the report.

Companies offering hybrid or remote working are less likely to be affected by resignations, with almost a third of respondents saying flexible working policies are encouraging them to stay in their current job.

A third of workers polled said they delayed resigning in the past year amid uncertainty over how the pandemic would affect the jobs market.

Specifically at shopping and West End stations, such as Stratford, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, there were around 113,800 entries and exits yesterday morning, which represents 49 per cent of normal demand.

The rail industry is trying to restore commuting levels closer to normal again after a collapse in demand which saw the Government put £15billion into railways during the pandemic, effectively taking them into public ownership.

The Rail Delivery Group revealed demand for peak time trains has increased by 5 per cent since the guidance for people in England to work from home was lifted last Wednesday having been in place since December 13.

But provisional Department for Transport figures showed overall passenger numbers on Monday were still only at 53 per cent of pre-pandemic levels as millions of Britons continue to work from home.

Meanwhile Zoopla said today that demand for flats outside London is at its strongest level for at least five years, with relatively modest increases compared to other property types helping to drive interest from buyers across the UK.

The average price for a terraced, semi-detached or detached home is £289,500, which is 8.8 per cent higher than a year earlier, according to Zoopla’s figures.

The annual rise in flat prices is a quarter of the rate of increase for houses, with flat prices increasing by 2.2 per cent. The average price of a flat is now £175,700, Zoopla said.

It continued: ‘As hybrid working continues to become the norm and city workers slowly return to offices, demand for flats is on a sharp upward trajectory, reaching its highest level for five years.’

Zoopla’s records on demand started five years ago. The website added: ‘Many agents are reporting that relatively modest price increases have helped reignite their popularity amongst buyers.’

And Nick Leeming, chairman at estate agent Jackson-Stops said: ‘Demand hasn’t only been limited to those seeking more space in rural locations. Demand is also rising across our cities as people once again return to offices and seek out cultural and social amenities including access to theatres, restaurants and museums.

A graph from Transport for London shows how Tube usage fell off in December 2021 but is now recovering again this month

This Transport for London graph shows how Underground usage has changed over the last two years, split by type of station

Commuters walk along the Jubilee line platform of Waterloo station on the London Underground this morning

A commuter sits on an Underground train at London Liverpool Street station this morning

‘In London we have noted an uptick in homeowners who moved out to the countryside at the start of the pandemic, but who missed the city and have now returned.’

Flats make a comeback on home buyers’ wishlist as demand surges

Demand for flats outside London is at its strongest level for at least five years, according to a property website.

Relatively modest increases in flat prices compared with other property types are helping to drive interest from buyers across the UK, Zoopla suggested.

The average price for a terraced, semi-detached or detached home is £289,500, which is 8.8% higher than a year earlier, according to Zoopla’s figures.

The annual rise in flat prices is a quarter of the rate of increase for houses, with flat prices increasing by 2.2%.

The average price of a flat is now £175,700, Zoopla said.

Zoopla’s records on demand started five years ago.

The website added: ‘Many agents are reporting that relatively modest price increases have helped reignite their popularity amongst buyers.’

Nick Leeming, chairman at estate agent Jackson-Stops said: ‘Demand hasn’t only been limited to those seeking more space in rural locations.

‘Demand is also rising across our cities as people once again return to offices and seek out cultural and social amenities including access to theatres, restaurants and museums.

‘In London we have noted an uptick in homeowners who moved out to the countryside at the start of the pandemic, but who missed the city and have now returned.’

Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank said: ‘Apartments are… moving back onto the radar of buyers as lockdown restrictions are lifted, which has created a temporary sweet-spot of extremely high demand.’

Meanwhile, data released today suggested there has been a sharp rise in staff going back in this week, with the average week-on-week increase in office occupancy at 43 per cent for Monday to yesterday.

Tuesday saw the largest week-on-week increase at 54 per cent, according to the data from smart buildings company Infogrid.

And ride hailing app Free Now said that it now expects a 40 per cent rise in taxi bookings over the ‘coming weeks’ – with demand for its services set to exceed pre-pandemic levels as it did in the summer and autumn of last year.

It comes as the New West End Company, which represents 600 businesses across London’s West End, said total daily footfall was up by an average 7 per cent week-on-week for Monday to Wednesday this week.

Its data also revealed that, for the same period, morning commuter footfall was up by an average of 11 per cent week-on-week but total daily footfall was down by an average 46 per cent compared with 2019.

Artjom Hatsaturjants, head of business intelligence at the group, said: ‘Whilst footfall figures are still down on pre-pandemic levels, we have had an encouraging start to the year with footfall picking up pace week-on-week.

‘Since the relaxation of Plan B, we have seen morning commuter footfall growing at a faster rate than the total daily footfall figures, which strongly suggests that the new government guidance is having a positive impact on London’s West End.

‘The return of office employees will no doubt be a relief to retailers and hospitality businesses in the district, who are looking to recover from the challenges of the last two years.’

Property experts at RightMove recently revealed the top ten rural hotspots for Britons – many of whom have been considering a move out of cities and towns and into villages because they can work from home.

Top of the list was Frodsham in Cheshire which has seen a five-year rise of 21 per cent to an average asking price of £322,000, while another in-demand area is Manningtree in Essex, up 35 per cent in five years to £377,000.

Also on RightMove’s list within commutable distance of London were Iver in Buckinghamshire, up 11 per cent in five years to £634,000; and Denham and Uxbridge in Middlesex, up 4 per cent in five years to £602,000.

Some 112,700 Londoners bought property outside the capital last year – the highest figure in any year since 2007 according to Hamptoms – with first-time buyers making up a quarter of Londoners buying outside the capital.

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