Tube fares to rise by 5.8% from 1 March

Fares on the London Underground, Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the Elizabeth line will rise by 5.8% from 1 March, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said he had frozen the price of Travelcards and pay-as-you-go caps until 2027, and bus and tram fares were frozen until 5 July 2026, in an "emergency cost-of-living measure".

As part of the fare changes, TfL said no single pay-as-you-go Tube fare within Zones 1 to 6 would increase by more than 20p, and many would rise by 10p. Elizabeth line fares from Zone 1 to Heathrow will rise from £13.90 to £15.50.

The fare increase is 1% above the rate of inflation.

Alex Williams, chief customer and strategy officer at TfL, said revenue raised from fares was reinvested into improving transport services across London.

"As an emergency cost-of-living measure, the mayor has decided to use City Hall budgets to help Londoners by freezing bus and tram fares until 5 July 2026," Williams added.

TfL said the fare rise - equivalent to one percentage point above the RPI rate of inflation - was a condition of the £2.2bn capital funding deal the transport organisation agreed with central government in the spending review in June.

Pay-as-you-go fares on Tube and TfL rail services within Zone 1 will rise from £2.90 to £3.10 in the peak, and from £2.80 to £3.00 during off-peak hours and weekends.

The river bus and IFS Cloud Cable Car will also see a fare rise.

Sir Sadiq said he hoped the freeze in bus and tram fares would "particularly benefit those on the lowest incomes", adding that it was the seventh time they had been frozen.

A spokesperson for London TravelWatch said the fare rises were a "bittersweet pill for Londoners" as they continued "to endure a cost-of-living crisis and some of the most expensive public transport fares in Europe".

They added: "There are some crumbs of comfort, such as the temporary respite for bus and tram users and the freeze in weekly and daily caps and Travelcard prices – as well as the promise of improved services.

"Transport for London will need to run ever faster to show it is delivering value for money to the travelling public."

The freeze in national rail fares announced last year does not apply to TfL services.

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