TfL bus fares frozen until summer as ‘cost of living measure’

Bus fares will be frozen again next year as an “emergency cost-of-living measure” – but only until the summer, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has said.

Tube, DLR, Elizabeth Line and London Overground fares will be going up by 10p or 20p after the Labour government agreed to give £2.2 billion in funding to TfL in return for fare rises of inflation plus 1 per cent. 

The mayor’s transport agency lost most of its government funding under the Conservative government and, unlike most other major world cities, is now mostly reliant on fare revenue.

National Rail fares – including those on Southeastern Metro and Thameslink used by most southeast London travellers – are expected to be frozen by the government.

Years of fare freezes under Khan meant that National Rail fares had become significantly more expensive in some places: the TfL rises mean the gap between the two will close slightly.

The price of fare caps and travelcards will also be frozen until March 2027, while the bus fare freeze will last until July next year. Bus fares have been £1.75 since March 2023.

“I remain committed to doing everything in my power to keep TfL fares as affordable as possible because I know how the cost-of-living crisis is still hitting many Londoners hard,” Khan said.

“That’s why I’m announcing plans for an emergency cost-of-living measure, funded by City Hall, to continue freezing bus and tram fares until July 2026.  This is the seventh time I’ve been able to freeze bus and tram fares, and it will particularly benefit those on the lowest incomes in our city.

The record number of TfL fares freezes I’ve put in place since 2016 mean that under the plans Londoners would still be saving around 16 per cent on tube and rail fares and 34 per cent on bus and tram fares compared to if fares had risen in line with inflation since 2016, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support Londoners as we build a fairer, greener London for everyone.”    

A zone 1-4 Elizabeth Line peak-time fare from Woolwich or Abbey Wood will go up from £4.60 to £4.80, and from £3.40 to £3.60 off-peak. A fare to Heathrow rises from £13.90 to £15.50.

A zone 2 DLR fare from Greenwich or Lewisham to Canary Wharf will go up from £2.10 to £2.30 during the peak hours, and will rise from £2 to £2.20 off-peak. 

Full details of the fares package are yet to be signed off by Khan.

Earlier this week the London Assembly’s transport committee heard that passengers were being driven away by slower bus services, while Greenwich Council said it had not been consulted about cuts to the 386 bus, which links the northwest of the borough with Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

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