London Tube and train fares could be cut on Friday to boost passenger numbers

TUBE and train fares in London could be cut on Friday under a £24m plan from Sadiq Khan.

The Mayor of London has asked Transport for London to run a three-month trial period from March, aimed at increasing passenger numbers by moving all fares outside peak hours at the end of the week.

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This requires the support of the wider community rail industry.

Peak fares apply on weekdays between 6:30am and 9:30am and between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on TfL and mainline rail lines within London.

Someone commuting from Zone 6 to Zone 1 in central London on the Tube during peak times currently pays £5.60 per journey.

During the trial, this rate would be reduced by £2 to £3.60 on Fridays.

Mr Khan is proposing to allocate £24 million from his 2024-2025 budget to support the Friday process.

TfL statistics show that weekday Metro passenger numbers are at 85% of pre-pandemic levels, but Friday passenger numbers are just 73%.

It is hoped that increasing the number of workers going into the office on Fridays will increase revenues for the hospitality sector through additional spending on lunches, after-work drinks and evening entertainment.

Mr Khan said: “London has recovered since the pandemicbut the lack of commuters on Fridays is a clear exception – with a knock-on effect on shops, cafes and cultural venues.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said: “There is no doubt that Fridays have suffered due to changes in working patterns since the pandemic, and hospitality businesses have felt that loss of commuting.

“Responding to these challenges with innovative trials like off-peak Friday is exactly the kind of flexible approach needed to increase travel and boost footfall at our sites.”

The announcement of the trial comes a week after Mr Khan revealed that TfL fares will be frozen until March next year, paid for by allocating £123 million in funding from the Greater London Authority.

Susan Hallare Conservative opponent in May's mayoral elections, described the rate freeze as a “last roll of the dice.”