London tube fares are going up massively in 2026 – here’s when they increase and by how much

When the government announced last month that it would be freezing regulated rail fares across England for the first time in 30 years, there were faint hopes that the same freeze would be applied to London’s Underground network. Alas, we now know that won’t be the case.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that tube fares will be going up significantly next year. The increase of almost six percent is the result of an official order from the government that told TfL it should increase prices by the RPI rate of inflation plus one percent every year until 2030, in order to receive a £2.2 billion boost. 

When asked about the national freeze this week, the mayor said: ‘The [Department for Transport] were quite clear: the announcement from the government was for a national rail fares freeze.

‘So if you go from Euston to Manchester, or from King’s Cross to Newcastle, that was what the government’s announcement was for. It wasn’t for travelling within Manchester, travelling within Liverpool, or travel within London.’

Here’s everything you need to know about London’s tube fare increase next year. 

How much will London tube fares rise in 2026?

All London tube and train fares will go up by an average of 5.8 percent, which is above the rate of inflation. So, the cost of a single zone 1 to zone 2 ticket would rise from £3.50 go £3.70 during peak hours and £2.90 to £3.10 off-peak. A zone 1 to zone 6 journey could go up from £5.80 to £6.15, and from £3.80 to £4.05 off-peak. 

Some fares could go up by slightly more or less than 5.8 percent as they tend to only increase by 5p or 10p increments. The cost of Travelcards will also rise by the same amount. 

What date will fares increase?

Londoners will start paying more for tube travel from March 2026. An exact date hasn’t been announced yet. 

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