How can the London Underground reverse a fall in journeys?

At a time when the government is aiming to get people out of their cars and onto public transport, some may be surprised at the news that the London Underground has seen a fall in passenger numbers.

The network has recorded its biggest decline in 20 years, with 6.4 per cent fewer people hopping on the Tube compared to 2008 figures.

Recessionary pressures are being cited as a reason for the drop, with a Transport for London spokesman suggesting the mayor of the city, Boris Johnson, may rethink fares.

"He will make his decision later this year, based on our awareness of the need to balance revenue and ridership figures with the need to sustain vital transport investment and improvements for Londoners," the representative said.

Funding of the UK's public transport network has been a prominent topic in recent months, meaning strategic investment in the Underground could be one of the solutions experts propose in response.

Elsewhere in Britain, it seems officials are keen to move technology forward. In Sheffield, a train-tram system is in the pipeline, with minister Chris Mole stating it would be a 'new concept' for travel.

Meanwhile, over in the US town of Mountain View, California, officials are considering a $128 million (£78.4 million) investment in an 'advanced travel system' which would see commuters ride in pods that stop outside the offices of local employers such as Google and Nasa.

Carl Atkinson, expert in Transport, at PA Consulting Group comments:

"The current budgetary situation at TfL means that reduced passenger revenues from the tube is a significant issue, not just for London Underground but for the whole organisation, as it struggles to close a major budgetary deficit.   In line with other modes, the drop in passenger numbers on the tube is a reflection of both positive and negative trends - the shift to other means of transport for short journeys accentuated by a reduction in numbers, particularly of work related trips, due to the recession.  The balance between them is difficult to know and the extent to which those journeys will return is uncertain due to the range of human behavioural factors involved.

"This uncertainty means that TfL should develop an understanding across its operational businesses to identify the key drivers of revenues. They need to develop a picture of how revenue streams might change over the next few critical years as the recession slows, or even recedes, while bearing in mind that travel patterns and behaviours may well not revert to the previous picture."