The Elizabeth line is reshaping London property by cutting journey times, adding rail capacity and driving regeneration and development around stations. At Canary Wharf, Thursday passenger numbers returned to around 90% of 2019 levels in early 2023, and weekend demand rose further. For FM, that means managing mixed-use developments and planning services around more variable demand.
Crossrail was one of the most ambitious transport infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK. Built to improve travel across London and the South East, the new railway, now the Elizabeth line, promised faster journeys, greater capacity and more direct connections between major business districts, residential communities and transport hubs.
Running for approximately 118 kilometres, the line connects Heathrow and Reading in the west with Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. Its central section links Paddington, the West End, the City of London and Canary Wharf.
Beyond passenger journeys, the project was expected to drive regeneration, stimulate commercial development and create significant opportunities across the property and Facilities Management sectors. The passenger figures since it opened, particularly at Canary Wharf, show how much of that has come through.
What the Elizabeth Line Was Built to Deliver
Faster, more connected journeys
The railway was designed to speed up connections between some of London's most important employment and commercial centres. Journeys between Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, for example, were expected to fall from approximately 21 minutes to around six. Passengers travelling between Heathrow and central London would also gain quicker, more direct services with fewer changes between networks.
More rail capacity and a bigger labour market
Once fully operational, the line was expected to increase central London's rail capacity by approximately 10%, a major gain for a network under pressure from population growth and rising demand. It was also forecast to bring an additional 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of central London. For employers that means recruiting from a wider area; for employees, access to more opportunities without relocating.
Regeneration along the route
Crossrail became an important driver of regeneration, encouraging investment around new and upgraded stations. It was projected to support more than 57,000 new homes. A significant proportion of planning applications within one kilometre of an Elizabeth line station cited the railway as a factor supporting development; together these schemes represented millions of square feet of proposed residential, retail and commercial space. Better connectivity can make previously overlooked locations viable for employers, developers, residents and investors.
Stations designed with property development
Rather than treating each station as standalone transport infrastructure, planners considered how stations, surrounding public spaces and over-station developments could work as wider commercial and residential destinations. Major property developments were integrated into upgrades at 12 central locations, creating more than three million square feet of new office space, retail units, residential accommodation, public realm and leisure and hospitality facilities.
Jobs and economic growth
The project was forecast to support more than 180,000 jobs across London and the surrounding regions, with estimates suggesting it could add tens of billions of pounds to the UK economy over the long term. New opportunities were expected across construction and engineering, retail and hospitality, property development, transport operations, Facilities Management, building maintenance, security and cleaning, and workplace and estate management.
What Has Happened Since It Opened: Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf offers the clearest early evidence of the line's effect. In early 2023, Transport for London figures showed passenger numbers on Thursdays had returned to around 90% of 2019 levels. Weekend demand was stronger still: on one Saturday, approximately 100,000 people exited stations serving Canary Wharf, more than double a typical pre-pandemic Saturday.
Much of that growth appears to have been driven by the Elizabeth line, which allows passengers to travel between central London and Canary Wharf in around 17 minutes. The figures came shortly after TfL confirmed that Elizabeth line journeys had passed 100 million, with passenger numbers exceeding initial expectations.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said the line was increasing capacity across TfL's network while supporting businesses throughout the city. Shobi Khan, Chief Executive of Canary Wharf Group, described the 100 million journeys as an important milestone for London's newest major transport link, noting that the line had transformed public transport capacity and reduced journey times, enabling more people to experience Canary Wharf.
TfL also announced an updated Elizabeth line timetable from 21 May 2023 to accommodate further growth, part of delivering the roughly 10% increase in central London rail capacity the line was designed to provide.
A seven-day destination
Canary Wharf was historically associated with weekday office activity. It has increasingly developed into a mixed-use district with shops and restaurants, homes, public spaces, leisure facilities, cultural events, parks and waterfront areas. Weekend passenger numbers above pre-pandemic levels suggest that strategy is working: the estate is attracting residents, families, tourists and leisure visitors as well as office workers.
Hybrid working has changed the pattern
The recovery also reflects changing office attendance. Hybrid working has reduced demand on Mondays and Fridays in many business districts, while Tuesday to Thursday remains much stronger. Thursday numbers at 90% of 2019 levels show office attendance remains substantial, even if the five-day commuting week has not fully returned.
The Impact on Commercial Property
Locations with better connectivity become more attractive to businesses seeking access to customers, employees and supply networks, increasing demand for office, retail and mixed-use space around stations. For employers, transport links influence:
- Office location decisions
- Recruitment reach
- Employee commuting times
- Customer accessibility
- Property values
- Workplace attendance
Areas once considered too far from central employment districts become realistic commuting locations, giving businesses broader talent pools and giving employees a much wider choice of where to work.
What It Means for Facilities Management
Every new office, residential development, retail destination, station and public space along the route needs effective management throughout its operational life. That includes building maintenance, mechanical and electrical services, cleaning, security, energy management, health and safety, sustainability, customer experience, contractor management and business continuity.
Managing mixed-use and over-station developments
Over-station developments bring distinctive challenges. Residents, office workers, retailers and transport passengers may all use the same wider site with very different expectations. FM teams must manage:
- Shared entrances and public areas
- Security and access control
- Deliveries and logistics
- Waste management
- Noise and disruption
- Emergency planning
- Service charges
- Stakeholder relationships
This raises demand for FM professionals who can manage multiple occupier groups and coordinate services across interconnected environments.
Planning around variable demand
The Canary Wharf figures show FM can no longer be planned solely around conventional office hours. Cleaning, security, catering and workplace services increasingly have to respond to midweek office peaks, quieter Mondays and Fridays, growing evening demand, higher weekend footfall and a more diverse mix of building users. That may require:
- Flexible staffing
- Occupancy-led cleaning schedules
- Responsive security arrangements
- Improved visitor management
- Smarter energy controls
- Weekend service planning
- Closer coordination across transport, retail and office environments
Final Thoughts
Crossrail was far more than a new railway. The Elizabeth line was designed to add capacity, cut journey times and connect London's main business and residential districts, and to act as a catalyst for regeneration, development and employment. At Canary Wharf, the early numbers show it doing exactly that: weekday demand moving back towards pre-pandemic levels and weekends reaching new highs.
For the Facilities Management profession, the result is long-term opportunity and responsibility. The offices, homes, stations, retail environments and public spaces along the route all need capable people to run them, for a larger and more varied population of workers, residents and visitors, seven days a week.
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