[title]
You might have heard the news that next year, for the first time in 30 years, rail fares across England will be staying exactly the same. The government announced that it would be putting a freeze on regulated fares across the country to ‘ease the pressure on household finances and make travelling to work, school or to visit friends and family that bit easier’. But that freeze won’t apply all rail fares.
Great news, right? Well, while it’s a good thing for anyone who regularly commutes into London from cities like Milton Keynes, Reading, Bath or Woking, there may not be benefits for Londoners themselves.
The price of public transport across London is overseen by the Mayor and City Hall, not central government. The Mayor is yet to reveal any updates on what tube and train fares Londoners will be paying next year, but it’s not looking promising.
Right now, City Hall says that it’s working to understand the implications of the national freeze. There are worries that the cap on regulated fares will put the burden on unregulated fares to cover any increase in operation costs.
On top of that, back in June an edict from the government told TfL that in return for a £2.2bn boost, it should increase prices by the RPI rate of inflation plus one percent every year until 2030. At the moment, it’s assumed that the rise in 2026, which would come into effect in March, will be around 5.8 percent. And it’s likely that if tube fares increase, so will the price of Travelcards.
Hina Bokhari, leader of the Lib-Dem group on the London Assembly, told the Standard: ‘If ministers freeze fares everywhere except London, that isn't policy, it's a punishment beating.
‘Londoners already face higher living costs and deeper levels of poverty, yet ministers appear to want to single out London for inflation-busting hikes. This isn't levelling the country up, it's levelling the capital down.’
For now, we’re just going have to wait with baited breath – TfL normally announces its fare changes for the next year in December.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.