TFL introduces Friday off-peak fares trial

London has begun a three-month trial of applying off-peak fares every Friday between March 8 and May 31 for pay-asyou-go London Underground and rail journeys made using contactless payments or Oyster cards.

The trial has been introduced by TFL under the instructions of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to see if it can increase rail and tube ridership, helping to boost London’s wider economic post-pandemic recovery. It has been widely recognised that fewer people are currently using public transport in and around London on Fridays, with services being quieter than on other weekdays, as many commuters choose to work from home at the end of the week.

TFL said it will use a combination of data throughout the duration of the trial and evaluate the cumulative impact when it ends. An assessment of the revenue impact will then be part of the post-trial analysis, considering the overall net impact on ridership and revenue.

A total of £24 million has been allocated from the Mayor of London’s budget, which will be used to compensate TFL and rail operators for the lower fare revenue during the trial and to cover the costs for running it. Mr Khan said: “I am doing all I can to support Londoners through the costof-living crisis and to support London’s economic recovery. This includes freezing TFL fares for another year to make transport more affordable for millions of Londoners and to encourage more people to use our transport network. But I want to do more. “Encouraging more people back into the city on Fridays could give a much-needed boost to the hospitality, business, and leisure sectors, supporting London’s wider economic growth as we continue to build a fairer, greener, and more prosperous

London for everyone. So, I’m making a call to all Londoners: to help London keep roaring back – Let’s Do Fridays!” Peak fares are usually applied on weekdays between 6.30am and 9.30am and between 4pm and 7pm on both TFL and National Rail services. The Friday off-peak fares trial only applies to pay-as-you-go contactless and Oyster journeys, with paper tickets and paper day travelcards still retaining peak-hour restrictions during the trial, while season tickets will also not change as there is no off-peak option. Additionally, TFL has announced that fares will be frozen until March 2025.