Peak rate fares for Heathrow journeys

Higher charges applied to airport travel through Zone 1 as Transport for London looks to generate additional income.

UNDERGROUND and Elizabeth Line fares for journeys that start or end at Heathrow Airport and go through London Transport Zone 1 became peak rate from September 4.

The charge for a new Oyster card also increased from £5 to £7.

Combined, the increases are predicted to generate up to

£27 million a year for Transport for London as it works towards an April 2023 target for financially sustainable operations.

Financial support

On August 30, £1.2 billion of base funding, which will last until March 31, 2024, was agreed with the Government to help TfL’s to recovery from the economic impact of Covid-19. It brings the total Government upfront funding for TfL to over £5 billion since the beginning of the pandemic.

The deal requires Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to submit proposals for staff pension reforms, progress modernisation and efficiency plans and achieve improved revenue generation as agreed earlier this year.

Options

TfL says a number of fare options were explored and subject to stakeholder consultation before a decision was made.

Journeys to the airport which avoid Zone 1 will continue to have an off-peak fare, while those which end at stations before Heathrow will also be unaffected by the changes.

TfL says it is working with the airport to resume discounted travel for staff, while pay as you go fare caps and concessions will remain in place.