london travel card for pensioners

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Apply for an older person's bus pass

If you live in england or wales.

In England you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age .

If you live in London, you can travel free on buses, tubes and other transport when you’re 60, but only within London.

In Wales you can get a bus pass when you reach 60.

Enter your postcode to:

• apply for a bus pass from your local council
• check if you can get one sooner

Find a postcode on Royal Mail's postcode finder

If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland

You get an older person’s bus pass when you’re 60. Apply if you’re in:

• Northern Ireland

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London Tube Fares – Senior Citizen Discounts For Over 60s

• Do senior citizens get free tube fares?
• Are senior bus passes valid on the train?
• Freedom Pass
• Freedom Pass travel times
• How to get a Freedom Pass
• 60+ Oyster photocard
• 60+ Oyster photocard travel times
• How to get a 60+ Oyster photocard

Can tourists get a 60+ Oyster card?

• Senior Railcard
• Senior Railcard travel times
• Are Senior Railcards valid on the tube?
• How to get a Senior Railcard

Do seniors travel for free on the tube?

UK senior citizens aged over 60, who live in a London borough, are entitled to free travel on the London Underground if they have one of the senior passes described below.

UK senior citizens who don’t live in London, and all foreign tourists, have to pay a normal adult fare .

Senior Railcards are available to everyone over 60, but don’t apply to all tube journeys ( see below ).

Can you use an OAP bus pass on the train?

If your OAP bus pass was issued in England, but by a non-London council, then it will only work on the bus – see senior bus fares for more information. They do not work on the London Underground.

If your OAP pass was issued by a London council (called a Freedom Pass ) then it will work on both.

What is a Freedom Pass?

A Freedom Pass (also known as an Older Persons Freedom Pass ) offers free travel to senior citizens if their principal home is in London, and they’re old enough to receive a woman’s state pension (regardless of whether they’re a man or woman).

A Freedom Pass is the size of a credit card and works in exactly the same way as an Oyster card – you simply tap it down on the big yellow Oyster readers that you find at the front of all TFL buses, and by the ticket barriers at London Underground stations.

Where can you use a Freedom Pass?

A Freedom Pass can be used on TFL buses , the London Underground , London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Elizabeth Line, London trams, and in standard class on most National Rail trains within London. But it is not valid on the Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, or Southeastern high speed services to/from St Pancras and Stratford International. A complete list of all the National Rail routes which are excluded can be found on their map at londoncouncils.gov.uk .

Pensioners can also benefit from a senior discount rate on the Uber Thames Clipper and IFS Cloud Cable Car .

The Freedom Pass is also part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) – denoted by the red rose symbol on the front. This entitles you to free bus travel on local services the length and breadth of England (but off-peak hours only – usually 9.30 AM to 11 PM Mon-Fri and all day Sat-Sun). And it only works with local bus services – not coaches, trams, trains, or any other form of public transport outside London. And it doesn’t work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland either.

What are the time restrictions on a Freedom Pass?

A Freedom Pass does have some time restrictions. Senior citizens can only travel for free outside of the morning peak period (4.30 AM to 9 AM, Monday to Friday). If you need to travel before 9 AM then you’ll have to pay a regular tube fare . There are no time restrictions at the weekend.

Bear in mind that National Rail trains have a different peak period to London Underground tube trains. For most National Rail trains within London you need to travel after 9.30 AM Monday to Friday, or any time during the weekend, but you should check before you travel to be sure.

How can you apply for a Freedom Pass?

Pensioners can apply for a Freedom Pass online at londoncouncils.gov.uk .

In order to qualify for a pass you need to be old enough to receive a woman’s state pension (regardless of whether you’re a man or woman). If you’re not sure whether you meet the age criteria then you can enter your date of birth into their eligibility calculator .

You will also need to provide an active email address, a passport-style photograph, proof of age, and proof of your address within a London borough. (Note: If you work inside London but live outside London then you will not be eligible for a pass.)

Suitable documents to prove your age include a birth certificate, passport, driving licence or medical card. Documents which can prove your address include a recent council tax bill, utility bill or television licence. Bank or building society statements are not accepted.

What is a 60+ London Oyster photocard?

A 60+ London Oyster Photocard is aimed at people aged over-60 who’s principal living address is in London, but are not yet old enough to qualify for a Freedom Pass .

These passes are used in exactly the same way as an Oyster card . All you have to do is tap it down on the big yellow Oyster readers that you find at the front of all the buses, or by the London Underground ticket barriers.

Where can you use a 60+ Oyster photocard?

A 60+ London Oyster Photocard gives senior citizens free travel on London buses , the London Underground , London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Elizabeth Line (excluding the stretch between West Drayton and Reading), trams, and most of the National Rail trains within London. It does not work with any transport services outside of London.

Pensioners also get concessions on the Uber Thames Clipper and IFS Cloud Cable Car .

What are the time restrictions on a 60+ London Oyster photocard?

A 60+ London Oyster Photocard does have some time restrictions. Free bus and tube travel only applies after 9 AM (Monday-Friday) or any time during the weekend . If you need to travel before 9 AM then you’ll have to pay a normal bus and tube fare .

For most of the National Rail trains within London you need to travel after 9.30 AM (Monday-Friday) or any time during the weekend, but the timings differ between routes. Check this map to be sure: tfl.gov.uk/​60-plus-london-free-travel-national-rail-map.pdf .

Note: Unlike a normal Oyster card, it’s not possible to load any extra credit onto a 60+ London Oyster Photocard . So if you need to pay a normal fare then you’ll have to purchase a completely separate ticket.

How do you apply for a 60+ Oyster photocard?

Senior citizens can apply for a 60+ London Oyster photocard two weeks before their 60th birthday at tfl.gov.uk/​fares/​free-and-discounted-travel .

The photocard costs £20 and you need to provide them with an active email address, a valid UK driving licence or digital image of your machine-readable passport (which includes your photo, personal details and passport number), a digital passport-style photo of yourself, plus a debit or credit card that is registered to your home address to prove you live in a London borough. You can also provide them with proof of address by showing them a recent utility bill or credit statement from your bank or building society.

If you can’t provide some of the items then the website gives you the option of printing off a verification letter which you can take into your local Post Office.

Every year you have the pass you have to pay an extra £10 fee and provide them with proof of address all over again.

And once you reach the state pension age you will need to bin the card and apply for a Freedom Pass instead. A Freedom Pass offers the same discounts, but is supplied by your local council rather than TFL.

No. Senior citizens from abroad cannot apply for any kind of senior pass. Only pensioners who live in London can get free travel on the tube.

What is a Senior Railcard?

A Senior Railcard is aimed at people aged over 60 and who are planning on using National Rail trains the length and breadth of Great Britain, and maybe an Oyster card on the London Underground.

For £30 a year, or £70 for three years, the discount pass will grant you a ⅓-off a wide range of National Rail train tickets and off-peak Oyster fares .

The average saving made by each pensioner over the course of a year is £98.

Can you use a Senior Railcard on the London Underground?

You can use a Senior Railcard on the London underground, but it works best on National Rail trains, where it grants you a 33% discount on Standard, First Class Anytime, Off-Peak and Advance fares. You can also use it on the Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express and Stansted Express.

It’s not quite as useful on the tube because it only applies to single journeys and the off-peak daily cap on Oyster . It does not apply to peak time journeys. And it doesn’t apply to cash fares or contactless fares either.

Off-peak on the London Underground is outside the hours of 6.30 AM-9.30 AM, and 4 PM-7 PM (Monday to Friday). Weekends and bank holidays are always classed as off-peak.

You can also get 33% knocked-off the cost of an Anytime 1-Day Travelcard – but only for zones 1-9 (which is more than most people will need), and only if it’s bought as part of a longer National Rail journey into London from outside London (subject to a minimum fare of £20.30).

Does the Senior Railcard have time restrictions?

Yes . The Senior Railcard is not valid for peak-time journeys within London, or morning peak-time journeys within the South East Network area.

Peak time on the London Underground is any journey that starts between 6.30 AM-9.30 AM, or 4 PM-7 PM (Monday to Friday).

The morning peak period for National Rail trains is a bit more complicated because it varies between routes, so it’s best to check your journey with the ticket office staff before buying your railcard.

Where can you buy a Senior Railcard?

Senior Railcards can be bought online at railcard.co.uk . You can also get them from a manned ticket window at a National Rail station. The National Rail stations in central London are Blackfriars , Cannon Street , Charing Cross , Euston , Farringdon , King’s Cross St Pancras , Liverpool Street , London Bridge , Marylebone , Paddington , Vauxhall , Victoria and Waterloo .

Bear in mind that you will have to provide them with proof of eligibility (like a UK driving licence, passport, national identity card or birth certificate), and a passport-size photo.

Senior Railcards come in two different versions: plastic and digital. Plastic ones will be sent through the post, whereas digital ones come with a Railcard app which can be downloaded on up to two different devices (like your mobile phone). It can also be loaded straight onto an existing Oyster card .

Your comments and questions

Suzy Are you able to use a senior rail card when paying with contactless

Staff Hi Suzy. No, you can load a senior rail card onto an Oyster card, but you can’t load it onto your bank card, so it doesn’t work with contactless fares.

Alan S Morgan I have a 60+ Oyster card. I shall be travelling before 9.30am. How can I update my card?

Staff Hi Alan. They've changed the times now so you can travel after 9 AM instead of 9.30 AM, but if that is still too late then you'll just have to pay a normal fare. The easiest way would be to use your contactless bank card.

ELSPETH Hello. On my Oyster card it includes senior rail discount would I get this discount on a contactless card please

Staff Hi Elspeth. Unfortunately not, because a contactless card is just your normal everyday bank card. There's no way to load a railcard onto it.

Ann Winder I have an OAP bus pass can i use it on the tube

Staff Hi Ann, if you mean a London Freedom Pass then yes, but if it was issued by a council outside London then no. If it was issued by an English council and has a red rose symbol on it then you can only use it on the buses

MAL Are cheaper fares for OAPs on the underground only available to Londoners or UK pensioners please? I am a pensioner from Wales

Staff Hi Mal. That's right, yes. You need to get hold of a Freedom Pass or 60+ Oyster card, but they're only available to people who live in London. National bus passes work on London's buses if they were issued by an English council, but not Welsh ones unfortunately.

Rahmah Hi, we are Malaysians (3 paxs). Can we buy weekly ticket on senior citizen fares. We will be visiting London for 10 days. Thank you

Staff Hi Rahmah. Unfortunately not, no. Cheap fares for senior citizens are only available for UK citizens or people who live in London. An Oyster card will probably work out cheaper for you, rather than a weekly travelcard, but it all depends on how many journeys you're making in total. Bear in mind that a weekly travelcard has to be used over seven consecutive days. You can't spread the seven days over a stay of ten

Mr Jones I have a bus pass as I an 67 yrs old , can I get an oap rail card . So I and my wife can get discounted rail fare . She is 64 yrs old . Are we eligible for it as a couple even though she is not 66 yrs yet.

Staff Hi Mr Jones. Senior rail cards are valid for everyone aged 60 and over, so your wife will be eligible as well. You’ll both have to get one if you both want the discounts

Mrs smith Has the oap rail card for 1 yr stopped now. Only 3 yrs available.

Staff Hi Mrs Smith. Its still available, £30 for one year. If you click one of the links mentioned above for trainline or nationalrail then they’ll give you options for 1 year or 3 years

Artifex Isn’t it some form of human rights discrimination that while pensioners who live in London boroughs are entitled to free tube travel, pensioners from outside London are not?

Staff Hi Artifex. Freedom Passes aren't funded by the government. Local councils pay for them through their residents’ council tax.

Eliza T A bit confusing. 60+ oyster card allows me to travel free during Non-peak hours for London Underground as stated above. At the same time, under Senior Rail card, it stated that I can get 33% off on national Rail cost and non-peak London Underground (tube travel). Is it some confusion on the non-peak travel for London Underground? Is it free or 33% off? I am over 60 and move to and immigrate to London soon from oversea.

Staff Hi Eliza. The 60+ Oyster card is only available for people who live in London, whereas the Railcard can be bought by anyone. So If you live in London you're better off just getting the 60+ Oyster card. The only reason you'd want to get the railcard as well is if you were planning on travelling to other parts of the country, then you could get 33% off the national rail tickets.

Kris D Hello, I live in Liverpool and planning to spend a week this summer in London. I understand I can travel in London buses for free. I also have an Oyster card. What other cheaper travel options do I have for the duration of our stay. Thank you. Kris

Staff Hi Kris. The cheapest fares on the tube are always with Oyster and contactless (which are both the same), so if you already have an Oyster card I would use that on the tube and your national bus pass on the bus. (If you're staying for a whole seven days then it's possible that a weekly travelcard might work out cheaper, but only if you make two or more journeys on each of the seven days, or three or more journeys on six of the days)

Trevor I live just outside London (Ashford Surrey) and have to travel into London regularly for work. I have a senior person rail card, which gives me discount on the off-peak rail travel. Can I link the rail card to an oyster card to get cheaper underground travel?

Staff Hi Trevor. You can do, yes. you have to register your oyster card on the TFL website first (you’ve probably already done this) and then you just take both cards (or digital pass) to a member of TFL staff at the station and ask them to load it on. Then the discount will be applied automatically when you use the oyster card

Sarah Hello, we are going to be going to London for a week from May4-11th (flying from Canada). We are both over 60. We will be staying near Kew Bridge (zone 3).After reading about all the different types of cards and passes etc, it looks like the easiest (and cheapest?) option for us will be to use a contactless card and just tap on and off. From what I can gather the daily cap would be 9.60 pounds. It doesn't look like we wold be entitled to an over 60 discount. Is this correct?

Staff Hi Sarah. You certainly could use a contactless card if you wanted to, but if it's a foreign card then your bank might charge some kind of transaction fee every time you buy something with it over here, which will bump up the price of each ticket. So you should check that first. You can't get over 60s discount if you don't live in London, and it's too late to have a Visitor Oyster Card posted over to Canada, so we would recommend getting an Oyster card when you arrive, and loading it up with enough money to cover the 'daily cap' each day - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-cards.php - you can get them from heathrow if that's where you're arriving at. £9,60 is the daily cap for zones 1-3. the daily cap for heathrow to central london is £14,90 (zones 1-6)... I hope you enjoy the Coronation!

Maureen Hayhurst How much is the fare from Victoria to Waterloo?

Staff Hi Maureen. It depends on how you pay. All the different fares are shown here - city-guide.london/​transport/​train-journey.php?from=victoria&to=waterloo

Bob I'm a pensioner living in Leeds but coming early September to London for 2 weeks how can I make my travel costs more acceptable as I wish to travel around London to see various sites

Staff Hi Bob. If you've got an OAP bus pass then that will give you free travel on London's buses after 9 AM, as long as it has the red rose symbol on it (it should do). Unfortunately you need to be living in a London borough to get free travel on the tube, so the cheapest fares will be with your contactless card - city-guide.london/​transport/​contactless-cards.php

Colinne All answers for living in London. What is there for pensioners visiting London

Staff Hi Colinne. Senior citizens living outside london don't get any discounts on the trains (apart from the senior railcard described above), but you can use an English council supplied bus pass for free travel on the buses - city-guide.london/​transport/​senior-bus-fares.php

Ste Hi how do I get to Heathrow Terminal 4 from kings cross and how much cost please travel at 5.30 pm

Staff Hi Ste. You can just get the Piccadilly line. The prices are shown here - city-guide.london/​transport/​train-journey.php?from=kings-cross-st-pancras&to=heathrow-terminal-4

Rory Hi, as an Australian passport holder aged 64, am I eligible for the Senior Rail card?

Staff Hi Rory. You should be fine. According to their terms: "We accept machine readable passport codes from all countries except for those issued in the Philippines and Bangladesh prior to 2010" - senior-railcard.co.uk/​help/​faqs/visiting-outside-GB/

Jean Can I get a free Oyster card to load as a senior citizen from outside london

Staff Hi Jean. Unfortunately not, no. If you live outside london the only free travel you get is with your OAP bus pass on the buses, as described here - city-guide.london/​transport/​senior-bus-fares.php

Syl Can I load a senior rail card onto my visitor oyster Card? Presumably I will need to have my visitor oyster Card when I apply for my senior rail card or can I load my senior rail card later?

Staff Hi Syl. I don't think that's possible, because you need to register the oyster card online at the TFL website before you can load a railcard on to it. But they don't allow you to register visitor oyster cards, only regular oyster cards. You could buy a regular oyster card once you arrive in London, and load the railcard on then, but you won't be able to have it posted overseas before you arrive (I think you said you were from New Zealand in another post)

Jacquie Sorry sure you have been asked this many times. We are 66 and 68. We are in London for 3 nights in July, we need the flexibility to travel anytime on the underground. Do we just get an Oyster card each, or is there a better alternative? Thank you

Staff Hi Jacquie. If you want to travel at any time then the senior passes described above are no good (and you have to live in a London borough to get them). If you're from the UK then we recommend just using your contactless bank card because you won't have to pay the Oyster deposit. If you're from abroad then we recommend getting an Oyster card - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-contactless-travelcard-comparison.php

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> Forum: London Buses, Taxis & Trains

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Free and concessionary travel for older people … what you are entitled to

O lder London residents can travel free on most of the capital's public transport network thanks to the 60-plus Oyster photocard introduced in November 2012, a far more generous travel concession than the rest of England.

Yet many Londoners are unaware of this little-publicised perk which gives free travel at any time of the day on all Transport for London services including the buses, Underground and Docklands Light Railway as well as most off-peak local rail services plus discounts on some river boat fares and the Emirates Air Line cable car.

The scheme can save up to £2,288 a year for those who regularly travel into the centre of the capital by the underground from zone 6 stations such as Bromley, Upminster or Uxbridge.

Currently, the London Councils' Freedom Pass offers similar travel perks, but residents can't qualify for that until they are older, as eligibility for the pass is linked to the state pension age. The same is true for residents in other council travel pass schemes around the country – which goes to show how valuable the free 60+ Oyster is for Londoners aged 60 to 67.

You can apply for the 60-plus Oyster on the TfL website at tfl.gov.uk if your main home is in a London borough.

In the rest of England, you are entitled to free off-peak travel (9.30am-11pm on weekdays and any time at weekends) on local buses – but only at state pension age. Use the calculator at gov.uk/calculate-state-pension to find out when you will qualify. If, for example, you were born on 15 March 1954 and are turning 60 next week, you are not eligible until 6  September 2019 when you are 65. If you were born a year later, you will have to wait until 15 March 2021.

Some local authorities in England offer other local travel concessions. In the West Midlands, for example, eligible residents get free off-peak travel on the bus, rail and Metro in the Network West Midland area, while in West Yorkshire they get half-fare on off-peak train travel within West Yorkshire.

In Wales , local authorities provide free travel at any time of day on registered local bus services for residents age 60-plus.

In Scotland , the National Entitlement Card allows residents aged 60-plus to travel free on most local and national bus services. Some Scottish local authority schemes also entitle them to free rail travel.

In Northern Ireland residents of this age are entitled to free travel on bus and railway journeys. Translink, and some other, smaller, transport operators also offer half-fare travel for children and young people up until 30 June following their 16th birthday.

All areas of the UK offer free or concessionary travel on buses, and sometimes trains, to people with a disability regardless of their age.

No more cash on the buses

Buses in London will go "cashless" from mid-summer – meaning most passengers will need to pay with either a pay-as-you-go Oyster card, a prepaid Travelcard or a contactless payment card.

TfL says cash fares make up only 1% bus journeys, down from around 25% a decade ago, and paying by one of these methods is by far the cheapest option, costing £1.45 per journey compared with £2.40 if you pay in cash.

But never having the fallback option of using cash – if, say, you forget your Oyster or lose a concessionary ticket – does mean travellers will need to be more organised and prepare ahead.

Visitors are best advised to get a Visitor Oyster card and load it with pay-as-you-go credit. It can be reused, never expires, and gives you the cheapest way of paying for single journeys on London buses, tubes, trams, DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services in London.

Buy online at tfl.gov.uk . Each card costs a minimum of £13, comprised of £10 pay-as-you-go credit plus a £3 non-refundable card fee.

If you visiting London with children aged under 11, up to four can travel free with you at any time provided you have a valid Oyster or other ticket.

If visiting with older children from outside London, you have a choice.

Buy an 11-15 or a 16-plus Oyster photocard, costing £10 each, which gives free travel on buses, and child fares on tubes and other services.

The 16-plus card will give the visiting holder half adult pay-as-you-go fares on all services.

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Benefits and Entitlements

If you're 60 or over or you have a disability, you might be eligible for public transport concessions – from discounts on your rail journeys to a free bus pass.

What transport concessions are available?

Can i get a free bus pass, can i get a discount on train travel, can i get a london freedom pass, what if i have difficulty using public transport, what if i'm unable to use public transport, more travel concessions questions.

There are several national public transport concessions available to older and disabled people. Some entitle you to discounts on your fares, while others allow you to travel for free.

Eligibility for these concessions depends on whether you have a disability or your age. 

Depending on your age and your circumstances, you might be able to get one of the following free bus passes, which allow you to travel free on local buses:

• an older person's bus pass
• a disabled person's bus pass

What age do I have to be to get an older person's bus pass?

You can get an older person's bus pass when you reach State Pension age, which is currently 66 for both women and men.

Apply for your older person's bus pass on GOV.UK

If you're 60 or over and live in London, then you can get free travel on buses, trains and other modes of transport in and around London with a 60+ London Oyster photocard.

Apply for your 60+ London Oyster photocard on the TFL website

How can I get a disabled person's bus pass?

There's no central provider of the disabled person's bus pass – to find out if you're eligible and how to apply, you need to get in touch with your local council.

Find your local council and apply for a disabled person's bus pass on GOV.UK

Are there any other discounts if I'm an older person or I'm disabled?

It's a good idea to contact individual transport operators to see if they offer discounts.

For instance, National Express offers Coachcards. These are discount cards for older or disabled customers. You buy them for a set fee of £15.00 and they get you a third off the cost of your travel across the year.

Find out more and order a Coachcard on the National Express website

Depending on your age and circumstances, you might be entitled to one of the below railcards:

• a Senior Railcard
• a Disabled Person's Railcard

Both railcards are discount cards. You buy them for a set fee to last either 1 or 3 years and they get you a third off the cost of your train travel.

Can I get a Senior Railcard?

The Senior Railcard is available for anyone aged 60 or over to buy.

You can apply on the Senior Railcard website using a valid passport or UK driving licence as ID. Or, you can apply in person at most staffed railway stations.

Find out more about the Senior Railcard and apply online

Can I get a Disabled Person's Railcard?

The Disabled Person's Railcard is available to you if you meet one of the following criteria:

• you're registered as deaf or use a hearing aid
• you're registered as having a visual impairment
• you have epilepsy
• you receive a disability-related benefit, such as  Personal Independence Payment
• you receive War or Service Disablement pension
• you receive Attendance Allowance
• you receive Severe Disablement Allowance
• you receive War Pensioner's mobility supplement

Find out more about the Disabled Person's Railcard and apply online

Freedom Passes give London residents free travel in the city – including National Rail services, the Underground, buses, river services and trams – and free local bus journeys nationally.

If you live in London, you can apply for a Freedom Pass if one of the following applies to you:

• you've reached State Pension age
• you have a disability.

Find out more about Freedom Passes and apply on the London Councils website

National Rail has an interactive tool called Stations Made Easy, designed to help people find their way around stations and find more accessible routes, avoiding potential difficulties like stairs. This may be helpful if you have difficulty using public transport because of your health. 

Find out more and use the tool on the National Rail website

If you're disabled, you can't use public transport, or you don't have access to a car, you might also be able to use a community transport scheme – such as a social car, dial-a-ride, or taxicard scheme.

Shopmobility schemes help people shop in town centres by lending out wheelchairs and scooters. Some local councils also offer concessions on local public transport.

To find out what's available in your area, you can contact your local council or your local Age UK.

Find your local council on GOV.UK

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No, you can't use a free bus pass on National Express buses. To get senior concessions on National Express you need to buy a senior coachcard, which costs £15 a year.

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Yes, your bus pass will give you free travel on buses across England, including London. However, there may be specific rules about when you can travel for free, so check your local council's free bus pass guidance before travelling.

Find your local council's older person's bus pass guidance on GOV.UK

Want more information?

Apply for an older person's bus pass on GOV.UK

Apply for a disabled person's bus pass on GOV.UK

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Last updated: Apr 09 2024

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News | London

Free early travel for over-60s as Sadiq Khan scraps Friday peak fares

Older Londoners will be able to travel for free early in the morning for the first time in four years as Sadiq Khan announced an expansion of his Friday off-peak fares initiative.

The mayor revealed on Sunday that he plans to scrap peak Tube and train fares in London on Fridays for three months in a bid to attract commuters back into workplaces and boost the night-time economy.

On Monday he said the 1.2 million Londoners who have a 60+ Oyster or Freedom Pass will qualify for free travel throughout Fridays under the off-peak trial, which is due to start in March.

The trial is in addition to the mayor’s partial fares freeze that will leave  all pay-as-you-go Tube and bus fares unchanged until March 2025 - though Travelcards and the “cap” on the total cost of multiple pay-as-you go journeys will increase by about five per cent.

Mr Khan said the Friday off-peak fares scheme was set to launch on March 8. He said it had been funded by "prudent budgeting".

He is spending £123m of City Hall cash on the fares freeze and a further £24m on the off-peak Friday initiative. The mayor told the Standard: "It's a good example of prudence for a purpose. 

"The money comes from business rates. It's really good that we are using business rates money to support businesses."

He said he was "keeping my fingers crossed" that the capital's commuter rail firms agreed to the scheme.

If they refuse, then TfL will have to consider alternatives. Part of the £24m will go to the train firms to compensate them for lost peak fares. 

"We have got to recognise that we all win if passengers come back," Mr Khan said. 

He said the scheme would be considered a success if there was "growth" in the number of passengers and no "unintended consequences" on busier midweek days.

Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall accused Labour mayor Mr Khan of “gimmicks”, amid cross-party anger at City Hall at a “lack of transparency” in how he has managed to fund £147m of transport giveaways so close to the May mayoral elections.

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At present, the 60+ Oyster and the Freedom Pass, which is given to Londoners when they reach the state pension age, cannot be used between 4.30am and 9am on weekdays. Both allow free travel on public transport in the capital .

The pre-9am restriction was introduced at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to aid social distancing, and made permanent last year to boost TfL’s fares income, despite widespread protests from older Londoners.

Students and young people should also benefit from Friday off-peak fares, as their railcards will be valid throughout the day not just at off-peak times, City Hall said on Monday.

Mr Khan said he wanted to “help Londoners of all ages with the cost-of-living crisis”.

He said: “For the 1.2 million Londoners with a 60+ Oyster card or a Freedom Pass, they’ll be able to travel for free before 9am.

“For younger people travelling to college or university using pay as you go, or having to commute early for their job, it will put money directly back into their pockets at a time when they need it most.”

Abigail Wood, chief executive of Age UK London, which had campaigned to reinstate pre-9am use of the Freedom Pass, said: “Free travel is a lifeline to older Londoners and during this cost-of-living crisis it has never been more important.

“As well as calling for a longer term commitment from TfL, we continue to call on the Government to properly fund TfL to help enable a permanent return to free travel before 9am for older Londoners.”

The fares freeze and off-peak Friday schemes were only listed as “transport innovations” in his draft budget – leading to anger from London Assembly members struggling to scrutinise his spending.

Mr Khan has outlined a £512m pre-election spending “uplift” in recent weeks, including £30m for an enhanced pay rise for Tube workers to avoid a week of strikes, a second year of free primary school meals and more cash for the Met police.

This spending splurge has been largely funded by raiding City Hall reserves and due to a windfall in higher than anticipated income from business rates.

But the mayor is hiking his share of council tax bills by 8.6 per cent – meaning a typical household will pay £471 a year to City Hall from April, almost £200 more than when he came to power in 2016.

Critics say Mr Khan was unduly pessimistic with his early financial projections – thus creating a pre-election “war chest” as he seeks a record third term of office.

City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince said: “With just three months until the mayoral election, Sadiq Khan is becoming increasingly desperate.

"After asking Londoners to lend him their votes last week, he has now announced a temporary three-day weekend on the Tube.

“In the past few weeks, Sadiq Khan has found £177m down the back of the City Hall sofa for TfL to stave off Tube strikes, temporarily freeze fares this year and pause peak fares on Friday for three months."

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Tips for Senior Travelers in London

Don’t hide your age! Seniors in England are usually classified as those aged 60 and over, and they’re privy to all kinds of price breaks, from lower admission prices at museums to a third off rail tickets (but you first have to apply for the Senior Railcard ; www.senior-railcard.co.uk). You may hear seniors being referred to as OAPs, which stands for Old Age Pensioners. That acronym is falling out of use, perhaps because it’s rare to find a solvent pension fund anymore. Don’t be offended if you’re also referred to as a “geezer,” though—in England, it’s a compliment that means a fun-loving (if sometimes rowdy) bloke.

If you’re over 50, you can join AARP (601 E St. NW, Washington, DC, 20049; www.aarp.org; [tel] 888/687-2277 ), and wrangle discounts on hotels, airfare, and car rentals. Elderhostel’s well-respected Road Scholar (www.roadscholar.org; [tel] 800/454-5768 ) runs many classes and programs in London designed to delve into literature, history, the arts, and music. Packages last from a week to a month and include airfare, lodging, and meals.

Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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Changes to Freedom Pass Travel Times

On Wednesday 18 January 2023, the temporary suspension of free travel for Older Person's Freedom Pass and 60+ London Oyster photocard holders between 04:30 and 09:00 on weekdays, which was put in place during the pandemic, became permanent. 

Why this decision

Low ridership during the pandemic has had a devastating impact on TfL’s finances.  TfL has had to therefore obtain extraordinary funding from the government to keep running.

The government funding came with conditions to generate more income. This is why the Mayor had previously outlined a number of fares proposals which he was having to explore in order to generate income.

What this means for you

If you hold an Older Persons’ Freedom Pass you will need to pay for travel between 04:30 and 09:00 on weekdays.

You will still be able to travel free on TfL’s services from 09:00 on Monday to Friday and at all times on weekends and bank holidays.

Disabled Persons Freedom Pass holders are  not  affected by this change. 

Your options

If you need to travel before 09:00 you can use  pay as you go  with contactless or an Oyster card. Oyster cards can be topped up at station ticket machines, local newsagents, online and via the TfL app. 

Further Information 

Please contact TfL or visit their  website  for any further information.

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