London mayor Sadiq Khan says pay-as-you-go fares to be set until end of 2020 and calls on government to do same for rail

Fares on Transport for London services are to be frozen for the next four years, Sadiq Khan has confirmed, in a move that will result in the average household saving up to £200.

TfL announced ticket prices for 2017 showing pay-as-you-go fares on the tube, buses, the DLR, the Emirates Air Line cable car, Santander cycles and the vast majority of trams would remain the same – and the London mayor said he would do the same each year until the end of 2020.



While individual fares will stay be frozen, the cost of travelcards and the daily caps on Oyster payments may rise as they cover train fares that are not controlled by TfL.

As he ratified his campaign pledge, Khan demanded that the government also freeze fares on rail services which enter and leave London. National rail fares are due to rise by an average 1.9% in January but could go up by 10p a fare, or about 5%, on single journeys on networks such as Southern rail in the capital.

About 4 million journeys a day will stay the same price. The 2017 fares, published on Friday, also freeze the cost of DLR and Emirates Air Line cable car tickets. Khan has pledged to keep fares frozen throughout his mayoralty, until 2020, after they rose 42% in eight years under his predecessor, Boris Johnson.

Khan said: “Before taking office I was determined to ensure we took significant action to make public transport more affordable and we’ve already taken major steps through the introduction of the Hopper ticket … Our TfL fares freeze will save an average household £200 over the next four years, putting money back into people’s pockets and playing an important role encouraging more Londoners on to public transport.”

He said passengers on suburban rail routes had been hit by unacceptable delays, cancellations and overcrowding.

“It’s simply not right that London’s rail passengers face another fares hike caused by the government next year – the onus is on the government to ensure every passenger in London gets the fares freeze they deserve.”

Khan said all TfL travel concessions for children, the over-60s, veterans, apprentices and those on jobseeker’s allowance would remain.

James MacColl, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “We support the mayor’s commitment to keeping fares affordable in London. This is an example of the power that he, working with Transport for London, has to represent the interests of passengers. The government should learn from this by promoting devolution of responsibility for suburban rail services, there and elsewhere.”

London’s transport commissioner, Mike Brown, said: “Freezing fares help make our network more affordable for Londoners. Our efficiency programme allows us to deliver this while still providing the transport services London needs and also continuing to invest for future demand and growth.”

The mayor last month set out formal plans to take control of London’s suburban rail network. South-east London suburban services could be transferred to TfL as soon as 2018.

However, Caroline Pidgeon, a Liberal Democrat London assembly member, said: “Sadiq Khan’s manifesto specifically said that Londoners won’t pay a penny more for their travel in 2020 than they do today. There were no ifs or buts in that statement.

“However much the mayor attempts to spin the issue, his announcement today confirms that many Londoners will see their travelcards and their PAYG caps on travelcards increase next year.

“Instead of boasting about his fare announcement, the mayor should now be concentrating on tackling the chronic problem of overcrowding.”