If living in London wasn’t expensive enough, Tube fares are anticipated to start increasing by 4.6 per cent from next week.
Depending on the zone you are travelling through, daily caps on Tube prices will increase from 40p to 70p starting on March 2.
The increase was announced during the Government’s Autumn Budget last October, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan stating that the raised fares would be invested back into Transport for London (TfL) services.
In a statement revealed at the time, he said: “Following the government's budget, ministers made clear that, to secure national funding for key transport projects in the future, TfL Tube and rail fares would need to increase in line with national rail fares.
“Vital national government funding will allow us to progress exciting future projects, such as Superloop 2 and more upgrades to the Tube network.”
With that said, have you ever wondered what the busiest times and lines are on the London Underground? Here, we break it down, and explain how your journey time and destination also impacts what you pay.
What are the busiest times?
On weekdays, morning rush hour (7.30am to 9am) and evening rush hour (5pm to 7pm) are typically regarded as the busiest times on the Tube.
If you want to avoid large crowds, you can travel at quieter times, which TfL says are between 8.45am and 5pm and after 6.30pm on weekdays, and before noon and after 6.30pm on weekends.
And, in terms of days, recent analysis shared by TfL has shown that 15 per cent fewer customers travel on a Monday morning at peak time, while 28 per cent fewer customers travel on a Friday morning at peak time.
What are the busiest lines?
The busiest lines are generally considered to be the Elizabeth Line, Northern Line, Jubilee Line, Victoria Line, and Central Line.
TfL announced in January that, since opening in 2022, the Elizabeth Line has more than 500 million journeys under its belt, and that it’s officially the UK’s busiest train line.
According to recent analysis by engineering firm Arup and TfL, the two main reasons why people used the route were shorter travel times and fewer interchanges. London's newest line makes more than 800,000 trips on its busiest days.
Do prices increase at the busiest times?
TfL charge higher fares at the busiest times of the day. You will be charged more if you travel at peak fare hours (listed above).
A peak time Tube fare in Zone 1 on the London Underground is currently around £2.80, while an off-peak fare in the same zone is around £2.70
Zones also play a significant part, with a journey in Zone 1 is typically more expensive.
From March 2, Tube fares will increase at different rates in different areas of the network: a single pay-as-you-go fare in Zone 1 will rise by 10p from its current price of £2.80 to £2.90.
The daily cap for travelling only in zones 1 and 2 will go up by 40p to £8.90 per day. But it is the cost of travelling between zones 1 and 3 that will rise the most, with the daily cap increasing by 50p to £10.50.
