Cost of visiting the capital could rise by 50% next year once Day Travelcard is withdrawn
Visitors to London face a postcode lottery from next year as new analysis reveals how much more it will cost to visit the capital once the Day Travelcard is withdrawn.
The Travelcard, which has been helping tourists and locals to travel around the capital with ease for decades, is due to be withdrawn next year as part of Transport for London’s (TfL) drive to save money, despite 14 million being sold in 2022.
Currently, people travelling into London can add a Travelcard onto their national rail ticket for use on the capital’s transport network, meaning they buy one ticket for their entire journey. But from next year, people will need to buy their national rail ticket and then either use contactless or buy an oyster card to travel within the capital, making it more difficult to access child and other discounted fares, removing the ability to access seamless, integrated ticketing and adding to the cost of travelling around London.
Analysis by Campaign for Better Transport has revealed fares will rise significantly once it is withdrawn, with off-peak fares for individuals rising by an average seven per cent, whist families face an even steeper rise of 16 per cent on average. But the analysis also highlighted huge differences in cost increases depending on where you are travelling from, meaning people having to pay between two to 51 per cent more to visit London by public transport next year.
Launching a ‘Don’t Cut the Card’ campaign to stop the withdrawal of the Travelcard, Norman Baker, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Withdrawing the Day Travelcard will not only remove access to integrated, seamless ticketing for millions of people, but also make it much more expensive to visit the capital.
“At a time when we should be doing all we can to encourage people to use green public transport to access London’s shops and attractions, this move is going in entirely the wrong direction. Public transport works best when you can use one ticket for your whole journey, so we need more, not less, integrated ticketing.
“Transport for London must work with the Department for Transport and the train companies to come up with a way to keep the Day Travelcard so that people can continue to visit the capital easily and affordably.”
Looking at popular routes into London, the transport charity found that:
- People travelling from Sevenoaks in Kent face a 18% rise
- People travelling from Woking in Surrey face a 2% rise
- People travelling from Lewes in East Sussex face a 7% rise
- People travelling from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire face a 15% rise.
Families face even steeper rises:
- Families travelling from Milton Keynes face a 40% rise
- Families travelling from Bishops Stortford face a 19% rise
- Families travelling from High Wycombe face a 51% rise
- Families travelling from Brighton face a 10% rise.
Add to this the anticipated eight per cent national rail fare rise due next year, and people could be priced out of coming into the capital altogether.
So far 12 local authorities outside London have formally opposed the plans: Bedford Borough Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Kent County Council, Reading Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council, Slough Borough Council, Surrey County Council, West Berkshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council, West Sussex County Council and Wokingham Borough Council.
Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the Mayor of London, the Department for Transport and the train operating companies to come together and find a way to keep the Travelcard to prevent people being priced out of the capital.
Join the ‘Don’t Cut the Card’ campaign and share your views on the scrapping the Travelcard.
ENDS
For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk.
Notes to Editors
Example journeys with and without a Day Travelcard from various stations outside London
| Departure Station | London Station | Current off-peak cost (using a Travelcard) | Future off-peak cost (without a Travelcard) | Off-peak difference (%) | Off-peak difference (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks | Charing Cross | £19.80 | £23.30 | 18% | £3.50 |
| Gravesend | Charing Cross | £20.40 | £23.90 | 17% | £3.50 |
| Milton Keynes | Euston | £28.30 | £31.20 | 10% | £2.90 |
| Chelmsford | Liverpool Street | £33.50 | £33.10 | -1% | -£0.40 |
| Bishop's Stortford | Liverpool Street | £32.00 | £32.90 | 3% | £0.90 |
| High Wycombe | Marylebone | £28.90 | £33.10 | 15% | £4.20 |
| Reading | Paddington | £29.60 | £32.10 | 8% | £2.50 |
| St Albans City | St Pancras | £25.80 | £26.30 | 2% | £0.50 |
| Brighton | Victoria | £28.60 | £29.70 | 4% | £1.10 |
| Lewes | Victoria | £40.90 | £43.70 | 7% | £2.80 |
| Guildford | Waterloo | £32.20 | £32.90 | 2% | £0.70 |
| Woking | Waterloo | £29.10 | £29.60 | 2% | £0.50 |
Family of four travelling with and without a Family Day Travelcard
| Departure Station | London Station | Current off-peak cost (using a Travelcard) | Future off-peak cost (without a Travelcard) | Off-peak difference (%) | Off-peak difference (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks | Charing Cross | £49.05 | £50.60 | 3% | £1.55 |
| Gravesend | Charing Cross | £50.55 | £51.80 | 2% | £1.25 |
| Milton Keynes | Euston | £55.80 | £77.85 | 40% | £22.05 |
| Chelmsford | Liverpool Street | £71.00 | £81.60 | 15% | £10.60 |
| Bishop's Stortford | Liverpool Street | £68.00 | £81.05 | 19% | £13.05 |
| High Wycombe | Marylebone | £54.00 | £81.60 | 51% | £27.60 |
| Reading | Paddington | £61.40 | £79.00 | 29% | £17.60 |
| St Albans City | St Pancras | £45.50 | £51.60 | 13% | £6.10 |
| Brighton | Victoria | £58.55 | £64.35 | 10% | £5.80 |
| Lewes | Victoria | £60.35 | £66.15 | 10% | £5.80 |
| Guildford | Waterloo | £79.85 | £81.05 | 2% | £1.20 |
| Woking | Waterloo | £72.15 | £72.80 | 1% | £0.65 |
- Withdrawing the Day Travelcard(s) would mean TfL would no longer sell, issue, or accept any adult and child travelcards covering Zones 1-9, including: Group Day Travelcards, Weekend Travelcards, the London Family Travelcard and discounted Day Travelcards bought using National Railcards. Customers travelling in a single day would have to use pay as you go (PAYG) using contactless or Oyster, or buy paper single/return tickets to travel on TfL services. Customers travelling from outside London would have to pay for their journey to a London train station and then use PAYG or buy paper tickets to travel on TfL services. Instead of purchasing child Day Travelcards, customers travelling from outside London could apply in advance for a Zip card or get the Young Visitor discount set on an Oyster card – both of these options give discounted PAYG fares. Customers could also continue to buy child rate single and return tickets. Although customers who use a National Railcard to buy a discounted Day Travelcard would no longer be able to do so, they would still be able to add their Railcard to a registered Oyster card to get the same discounted day travel. TfL would continue to sell, issue and accept weekly and longer-term Travelcards. TfL anticipates that once it ceases to accept Day Travelcards, Rail Operators will also stop selling Zone 1-6 Travelcards but as, of yet, not confirmed their intentions.
- A total of 14 million Day Travelcards were sold last year.
- Campaign for Better Transport was founded as Transport 2000 on 6 February 1973. 2023 marks its 50th year of campaigning for all communities to have access to high quality, sustainable transport that meets their needs, improves quality of life and protects the environment. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929) which operates in England and Wales.
