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But what does this mean for London commuters \u2013 and what is happening with bus fares?<\/p>\n
And what\u2019s the unexpected benefit for commuters and other frequent travellers on TfL services? Read on…<\/p>\n
What does the Tube fares rise mean in central London?<\/p>\n
In zone 1, which covers most of central London, peak-hours fares will increase by 6.9 per cent from \u00a32.90 to \u00a33.10, while an off-peak fare (which also applies throughout the weekend) will rise by 7.1 per cent, from \u00a32.80 to \u00a33.<\/p>\n
These rates relate to fares paid using an Oyster card or Contactless bank card. Cash fares are currently \u00a37 for a single adult ticket in zone 1, but less than one per cent of passengers use cash.<\/p>\n
The same fares are paid on Elizabeth line journeys, for example from Liverpool Street to Tottenham Court Road.<\/p>\n
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The new TfL fares that will apply from March 2026<\/p>\n
TfL<\/p>\n
Partly unheralded within the mayor\u2019s announcement is great news for many commuters and regular travellers \u2013 a freezing of the daily and weekly \u201ccap\u201d on the cost of multiple journeys.<\/p>\n
At present, the cap operates to effectively make the fourth journey of the day \u2013 and all subsequent travel \u2013 free, if two peak trips and an off-peak trip have already been taken.<\/p>\n
The decision to freeze the capping levels from next March is the first time that this has happened since Sir Sadiq became mayor in 2016, and the first time since 2010 (when negative inflation meant all TfL fares were frozen).<\/p>\n
While Sir Sadiq has frozen the cost of pay-as-you-go fares on five occasions, this nevertheless was accompanied by an increase in the cap, meaning that many passengers still paid more.<\/p>\n
How has the mayor been able to freeze the cap on pay-as-you-go fares \u2013 and what about Travelcards?<\/p>\n
This is indirectly due to Heidi Alexander<\/a>, the Transport Secretary. She announced in November that \u201cregulated\u201d national rail fares were being frozen in 2026 \u2013 benefiting train commuters, including those who purchase season tickets.<\/p>\n One consequence of this is that the cost of Travelcards will also be frozen. These are combined tickets that can be used for rail journeys outside London and to travel on TfL<\/a> services \u2013 such as the Tube and the bus network \u2013 within London.<\/p>\n Because Travelcards are being frozen, so too is the pay-as-you-go cap. So many Londoners will benefit from the national rail fares freeze, even if they never travel on a train.<\/p>\n What about the Elizabeth line?<\/p>\n Fares on the Elizabeth line will continue to mirror those for the Tube. <\/p>\n But TfL already charges a premium for Elizabeth line journeys to and from Heathrow airport. <\/p>\n This will increase by a further 11.5 per cent from next March, from \u00a313.90 to \u00a315.50, but the \u201cLizzie line\u201d remains far cheaper than the Heathrow Express, which charges \u00a325 for a single ticket.<\/p>\n City Hall<\/a> said the hike in Lizzie line airport fares would mostly impact tourists flying out of Heathrow, as the fares cap will protect Londoners travelling to and from the airport for work.<\/p>\n London bus fares will be frozen at \u00a31.75 until July 2026<\/p>\n Ross Lydall<\/p>\n Are London bus fares increasing?<\/p>\n Yes \u2013 but not until July. City Hall hasn\u2019t announced what the new fare will be, but it\u2019s likely to be \u00a31.85.<\/p>\n Bus fares are currently \u00a31.75 and have been since the end of 2022. They last increased in early 2023, from \u00a31.65 to \u00a31.75. It costs the same to travel on a Superloop \u201cexpress\u201d bus as it does a conventional London bus.<\/p>\n Fares on the Croydon tram \u2013 currently the same as bus fares \u2013 will also be frozen until July.<\/p>\n Sir Sadiq is digging into City Hall reserves to freeze bus and Croydon tram fares for an additional four months as an \u201cemergency cost of living measure\u201d. <\/p>\n Sir Sadiq, famously the son of a bus driver, has consistently sought to keep bus fares as low as possible, because buses tend to be used by less well-off Londoners.<\/p>\n Buses are the best-used form of public transport in the capital, with about 1.8 billion journeys a year.<\/p>\n What will the fare changes mean in practical terms?<\/p>\n Here are some typical fares:<\/p>\n How does the increase compare with the rate of inflation?<\/p>\n The latest CPI rate of inflation was 3.8 per cent \u2013 so the off-peak increase in zone 1 is almost twice this rate.<\/p>\n What about Zip cards, Freedom passes and the Hopper fare?<\/p>\n The mayor has publicly committed to retaining the Hopper fare, which allows passengers to change between buses within a 60-minute period without paying an additional fare. <\/p>\n At present the Hopper ticket costs \u00a31.75 and this is likely to rise by the same amount as a single bus fare.<\/p>\n What do the mayor\u2019s critics have to say?<\/p>\n The increase follows a 4.6 per cent fares hike in March 2025, which was double the prevailing rate of inflation at the time.<\/p>\n London TravelWatch said: \u201cThe fares announcement is a bitter-sweet pill for Londoners to swallow, as they continue to endure a cost of living crisis and some of the most expensive public transport fares in Europe.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the one hand, 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 \u2013 as well as the promise of improved services, albeit paid for by inflation-busting rises in Tube and TfL Rail fares.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the other hand, delays to the delivery of new Tube and DLR trains, alongside worsening bus speeds across the capital, will make the overall package feel like a hard sell to many passengers.<\/p>\n \u201cComing on top of last summer\u2019s price rise for concessionary cards and next month\u2019s hike in the congestion charge<\/a>, Transport for London will need to run ever faster to show it is delivering value for money to the travelling public.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas Turrell, transport spokesman for the City Hall Conservatives, said: “This inflation-busting fare rise is going to hit Londoners during an excruciating cost of living crisis, which Labour have created through their mishandling of our economy. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/257-bus.jpeg\")
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