Sadiq Khan hikes Tube fares AGAIN by inflation-busting 5.8 per cent despite national ticket price freeze

Commuters using the Underground, Overground and Elizabeth line will not benefit from the freeze announced by ministers last month, which applies only to regulated National Rail services.

The above-inflation rise means Londoners will pay significantly more for their journeys while rail passengers elsewhere in the country see their costs held steady.

Travelcards covering both TfL and National Rail services within London zones are similarly expected to increase by approximately the same percentage.

Individual journey costs will vary depending on zones travelled and time of day, with typical increases ranging from 5p to 35p, per The Standard.

A peak-time single between zones one and two would rise from £3.50 to £3.70, whilst off-peak journeys on the same route would increase by 20p from £2.90 to £3.10.

Passengers travelling further will see larger increases, with a zones one to six off-peak fare climbing 25p to £4.05, and peak journeys on the same route jumping 35p to £6.15.

Because Tube fares only move in 5p or 10p increments, some passengers may experience rises slightly above or below the 5.8 per cent average.

London's transport network was already found to be the most expensive in the world earlier this year, easily beating out New York, Paris, Barcelona and Berlin.

The fare increase forms part of TfL's £2.2billion funding settlement secured from Chancellor Rachel Reeves during June's spending review, which mandates annual rises calculated using the RPI+1 formula until the decade's end.

Defending the move, Sir Sadiq said the Government's request was not an "unreasonable" one because of their "huge" contributions to the capital.

"They are not unreasonably saying, as grown-ups, we should also contribute. I think that is fair," the Mayor said.

He explained that the government had not announced any freeze for individual cities, adding that the deal represented "the biggest ever multi-year deal we have received in more than a decade."

In 2022, the then Conservative Government inked a £3.6billion bailout to keep London Tube trains, railways, buses and trams running.

The mayor noted that fare revenue contributes approximately £450 million towards capital investment projects.

Commuters in the capital fumed at the announcement, with one sharing on X: “5.8 per cent more to stand nose-to-armpit in a carriage that breaks down every other day. London is the only city where you pay more each year to get less of a service.”

“5.8 per cent increase on the smelly, hot, sardine tin. Thanks, Sadiq,” another despaired.

Whilst specific details on Tube price changes are anticipated in the coming weeks, there has been no announcement regarding bus fares, which Sir Sadiq froze in December last year.

City Hall has indicated that bus fares may receive protection from the increase.

Beyond fare revenue, TfL is projected to generate more than £1 billion next year through road-user charges, including the Ultra Low Emission Zone, congestion charge and tolls from the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels.

The transport authority says this combined income will help fund major infrastructure projects, including new Piccadilly line trains and expansion of the Docklands Light Railway network.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter