Transport for London (TfL) is reminding customers that changes to Tube and rail fares within London will come in from 1 March 2026, but all bus and tram fares will remain frozen until July 2026.
As previously announced, the Government’s £2.2bn multi-year funding deal for TfL – agreed in the Spending Review in July 2025 [1] – contained an expectation that TfL fares would rise by inflation plus one per cent (RPI+1) [2]. However, 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. This means that only fares on Tube and TfL rail services will increase from 1 March 2026.
Londoners will continue to be able to make unlimited journeys within one hour on London’s buses and trams for just £1.75, using the Mayor’s Hopper Fare. Had bus fares had increased in line with inflation since 2016, they would be £2.35 today, but due to previous fare freezes which have occurred over the last 10 years, customers still continue to pay 60p less than they otherwise would have if had the Mayor of London had not intervened.
In addition, the price of Travelcards will be frozen until March 2027 so weekly and daily caps will also not change. This means that those who regularly travel using pay as you go will now hit the caps sooner and therefore not see the cost of their travel increase significantly throughout the year.
As part of the fare changes, no single pay as you go Tube fare within Zones 1-6 will increase by more than 20p, with many rising by just 10p. Elizabeth line fares from Zone 1 to Heathrow will also rise from £13.90 to £15.50. This is still much cheaper than the Heathrow Express and only impacts single journeys, mostly impacting tourists flying out of Heathrow. Londoners travelling to and from Heathrow for work will not be impacted as they will be protected by the daily cap.
Separately, TfL has confirmed today that the free bus travel on the SL4, 108 and 129, which was envisaged to last for a year and introduced to support the opening of the new Silvertown Tunnel in east London, will be extended for a further seven weeks, from its initial planned end date of 7 April 2026 to the end of Tuesday 26 May 2026. This decision has been made separately to the annual fares changes. On an average weekday, more than 32,000 bus journeys are now being made on these routes, and it is estimated that 10,400 journeys are now made cross-river each day using these buses, compared to 2,700 prior to the Silvertown Tunnel opening. The cycle shuttle service, which allows cyclists to transport their bike from Royal Docks to Millenium Way in North Greenwich through the Silvertown Tunnel, will also remain free for the foreseeable future, enabling cyclists to make the most of the new journey opportunities this service offers.
In addition, cross-river journeys on the DLR from Greenwich / Cutty Sark to Island Gardens, and from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V – which will also support cyclists wishing to cross the river in off-peak hours – will also be refunded until the end of Tuesday 26 May 2026.
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at TfL said: “We are committed to ensuring that London’s public transport remains affordable and accessible for all, with revenue raised via fares reinvested into improving 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, meaning that only fares on Tube and TfL rail services will increase from 1 March 2026. Furthermore, we have now agreed to extend free travel on the SL4, 108 and 129 until the end of Tuesday 26 May 2026, which will also help encourage more cross-river trips by public transport in east London.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I remain committed to keeping TfL fares as affordable as possible because I know how the cost-of-living crisis is still hitting many Londoners hard.
“That’s why I’ve frozen bus and tram fares. This is the seventh time I’ve frozen bus and tram fares, which will particularly benefit those on the lowest incomes in our city.
“I’m also pleased to announce we’ve extended free bus travel on the SL4, 108 and 129 for a further seven weeks, supporting cross-river travel in east London.
“The record number of TfL fares freezes I’ve put in place since 2016 mean that Londoners are continuing to save on travel, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support Londoners as we build a fairer, greener London for everyone.”
For more information on fares across London, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/fares
