After a year-long freeze on public transport fares in the capital, Transport for London is increasing fares from tomorrow, March 2, in line with national rail fare increases, for both pay-as-you-go fares or Travelcards.
Hold tight please: bus fares and tram fares remain unchanged, as Tube and train prices go up by 4.6% tomorrow
But bus and tram fares will remain unchanged at £1.75, the cheapest in the country. This will be the sixth year that bus and tram fares have remained unchanged.
Prices on the Tube, the London Overground (such as the Windrush line from West Croydon), the Elizabeth line and Docklands Light Railway, together with National Rail fares will rise by an average of an above-inflation 4.6%.
It means that a single Tube journey within Zone 1 will increase from £2.80 to £2.90 at peak times, and from £2.70 to £2.80 off peak.
Peak fares apply on weekdays between 6.30am and 9.30am and from 4pm to 7pm.
Daily caps will be pushed up between 40p and 70p, depending on which zone you’re travelling through.
The government says that London travel fares need to increase in order for TfL to secure funding for any future projects.
Michael Roberts, the chief executive of watchdog London TravelWatch, called on London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to lay out how he intends to make transport in the capital more affordable.
“With many Londoners continuing to feel the pinch of the ongoing cost of living crisis, and some of the most expensive public transport fares in Europe, rising tube and train fares is the last thing they want to hear,” Roberts said.
“At least the freeze in bus fares offers some respite for the millions who rely on London buses to get around the capital.
“But we urge the Mayor to set out how he plans to make public transport in the capital more affordable in the coming years while making sure that Transport for London still invests enough to maintain and improve services.”
Operating grant: TSSA’s Maryam Eslamdoust
Union leaders blame the fare rises on the previous Conservative government’s decision to remove TfL’s operating grant, leaving London as the only major city in the world that doesn’t receive public funding for its public transport operations.
“Removing the operating grant has undermined TfL’s ability to invest in maintenance and enhancements of the network and left Londoners with significantly higher public transport costs than the rest of Europe. Even New York’s public transport receives a public subsidy,” said Maryam Eslamdoust, the General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staff Association.
“We understand the budgetary constraints that have led to this fare increase, but the reality is that higher fares risk discouraging more and more Londoners and tourists from using public transport. This is not just a blow to affordability and accessibility—it also has serious environmental consequences. Fewer people using buses and the Tube means more cars on the road, more congestion and more pollution.
“Public transport footfall must be a priority, both for the sake of London’s economy and our climate commitments. Instead of pricing people out, we need long-term funding solutions that keep fares affordable and services sustainable.”
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