This article was originally written in 2011, but is updated every year with the new fares.
With the Mayoral election coming up, fares will be a burning hot topic. But there's so much politicking surrounding the issue it's almost impossible to separate the fact from the posturing. So we decided to put together some actual data that we can refer to the next time a candidate says "when you look at the fares increase in real terms / compared with inflation / I had my fingers crossed and it didn't count".
Not as easy as it sounds: until 2003, new fare proposals were published in TfL Board Papers. After that, as far as we can tell, the data disappear, with only select information in press releases, before returning in 2009 on the Mayor's website — but only accessible by wading through search results. Thankfully, TfL was able to provide us with a full history for certain fare types.
Direct comparisons aren't always easy — we had the introduction of Oyster and removal of bus zones in 2004, and withdrawal of day travelcards for zones 1-3, 1-5 and 2-6 in 2011, for example — and so many permutations. But we've decided to look at travel between zones 1 and 4.
Tube single journey zones 1-4: cash
2000: £2.60
2001: £2.70
2002: £2.70
2003: £2.80
2004: £3.00
2005: £2.80
2006: £3.00
2007: £4.00
2008: £4.00
2009: £4.00
2010: £4.00
2011: £5.00
2012 (original): £5.40
2012 (revised): £5.30
2013: £5.50
2014: £5.70
2015: £5.80
2016: £5.90
Tube single journey zones 1-4: Oyster PAYG (peak)
2004: £2.80
2005: £2.50
2006: £2.50
2007: £2.50
2008: £2.50
2009: £2.80
2010: £3.10
2011: £3.40
2012 (original): £3.60
2012 (revised): £3.60
2013: £3.80
2014: £3.80
2015: £3.90
2016: £3.90
Bus single fare including zone 1: cash
2000: £1
2001: £1
2002: £1
2003: £1
2004: £1
2005: £1.20
2006: £1.50
2007: £2
2008: £2
2009: £2
2010: £2
2011: £2.20
2012 (original): £2.30
2012 (revised): £2.30
2013: £2.40
2014: £2.40
Bus single fare: Oyster PAYG (peak)
2004: 70p
2005: £1
2006: £1
2007: £1
2008: 90p
2009: £1
2010: £1.20
2011: £1.30
2012 (original): £1.40
2012 (revised): £1.35
2013: £1.40
2014: £1.45
2015: £1.50
2016: £1.50
One day cap bus and tram Oyster PAYG
2005: £3
2006: £3
2007: £3
2008: £3
2009: £3.30
2010: £3.90
2011: £4
2012 (original): £4.20
2012 (revised): £4.20
2013: £4.40
2014: £4.40
2015: £4.40
2016: £4.50
One day travelcard / Oyster PAYG cap zones 1-4 (all day)
2002: £6.80
2003: £7
2004: £7.30
2005: £8
2006: £8.40
2007: £9
2008: £9.40
2009: £10
2010: £10
2011: £10
2012 (original): £10.80
2012 (revised): £10.60
2013: £11 travelcard / £10.60 PAYG cap
2014: £11.40 travelcard / £10.60 PAYG cap
2015: £12 travelcard / £9.20 PAYG cap
2016: £12.10 travelcard / £9.30 PAYG cap
Seven day travelcard zones 1-4
2000: £26.80
2001: £27.60
2002: £28.10
2003: £28.40
2004: £29.20
2005: £30.40
2006: £31.60
2007: £33.20
2008: £34.60
2009: £36.80
2010: £36.80
2011: £39.40
2012 (original): £42.60
2012 (revised): £ 41.80
2013: £43.60
2014 (original): £45.40
2014 (revised): £45
2015: £46.10
2016: £46.50
Seven day bus and tram pass
2000: £11.50
2001: £9.50
2002: £8.50
2003: £8.50
2004: £9.50
2005: £11
2006: £13.50
2007: £14
2008: £13
2009: £13.80
2010: £16.60
2011: £17.80
2012 (original): £19.10
2012 (revised): £18.80
2013: £19.60
2014 (original): £20.40
2014 (revised): £20.20
2015: £21
2016: 21.20
Photo by gary8345 from the Londonist Flickr pool
