Engagement to withdraw Day Travelcards

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This engagement has concluded



Lady on a bus with a pram paying for her journey

Update 25 October 2023

Thank you for your input into our engagement earlier in the year via our Have Your Say webpage on the potential impacts of the withdrawal of the Day Travelcards on our network.

We are pleased to confirm that after close collaboration with the Rail Delivery Group, we have now been able to find a solution which allows the Day Travelcard to continue to be accepted on TfL services, while still meeting the terms of our funding agreement with Government.

 - Update ends - 

Update 21 July 2023

Thank you for your input into our recent engagement on the potential impacts of our proposal to stop accepting Day Travelcards on our network. 

It is a requirement of our funding settlement with Government – a deal that was required solely because of the impact of the pandemic – for us to deliver considerable savings and generate significant amounts of new additional income. The Mayor has been clear that the withdrawal of Day Travelcards is not something he would be considering were it not for the requirements of the funding deal. 

The Mayor has now considered our proposal, and after careful consideration, including information you provided in response to the engagement exercise, an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) and requirements under our funding settlement with government, the Mayor has reluctantly instructed us to give the required minimum six months’ notice to withdraw from the relevant provisions of the Travelcard agreement. 

While this six-month process is now underway, it is important that we are clear this remains reversible and does not therefore mean that Day Travelcards will be withdrawn. We and the Mayor remain open to discussing all options with both the Department for Transport, the Rail Delivery Group and the train operating companies, but in a way which would allow us to continue to meet the requirements of the government funding agreement.  

We would like to reassure you that while these discussions take place Day Travelcards will remain available. The existing daily pay as you go caps on contactless or Oyster, which are used by the overwhelming majority of those travelling, will not be affected by this. 

We will be in touch when we have a further update.

- Update ends - 

Why is the Mayor exploring this? 

We are required to explore this because of conditions of Government funding settlements that have been necessary due to the devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances. Our funding agreement with government requires TfL to develop and implement changes that will generate between £0.5-£1.0bn per year of additional revenue from 2023.

As part of this, we identified potential changes to fares structures and ticketing that could help contribute to generating this additional income.

One option identified was to withdraw from the Travelcard Agreement, which would have meant TfL would have stopped selling and accepting all Travelcards.

This option is no longer being progressed because funding provided by the Mayor means TfL can continue to meet its financial commitments under the government funding settlements, to keep providing weekly and longer-term travelcards.


The current Day Travelcard offer 

Day Travelcards give unlimited travel on TfL services, including bus, Tube, Tram, Docklands Light Railway, London Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth line, and National Rail services in London, and can also be used to get one third off River Services fares. They are only available as paper tickets.

Day Travelcards can be bought for unlimited peak travel (before 09:30) or unlimited off-peak travel (after 09:30 Monday – Friday and any time weekends and bank holidays), and to cover various zones.

When travelling from outside London, customers can buy an “add-on” of a Day Travelcard to be included on their train ticket to travel around London.


 Withdrawing the Day Travelcard would mean

  • TfL would no longer sell, issue, or accept all adult and child Day 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
  • We anticipate that, if TfL ceases to accept Day Travelcards, Rail Operators will also stop selling Zone 1-6 Travelcards. They do however determine their own products and services and have not confirmed their intentions.

Update 25 October 2023

Thank you for your input into our engagement earlier in the year via our Have Your Say webpage on the potential impacts of the withdrawal of the Day Travelcards on our network.

We are pleased to confirm that after close collaboration with the Rail Delivery Group, we have now been able to find a solution which allows the Day Travelcard to continue to be accepted on TfL services, while still meeting the terms of our funding agreement with Government.

 - Update ends - 

Update 21 July 2023

Thank you for your input into our recent engagement on the potential impacts of our proposal to stop accepting Day Travelcards on our network. 

It is a requirement of our funding settlement with Government – a deal that was required solely because of the impact of the pandemic – for us to deliver considerable savings and generate significant amounts of new additional income. The Mayor has been clear that the withdrawal of Day Travelcards is not something he would be considering were it not for the requirements of the funding deal. 

The Mayor has now considered our proposal, and after careful consideration, including information you provided in response to the engagement exercise, an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) and requirements under our funding settlement with government, the Mayor has reluctantly instructed us to give the required minimum six months’ notice to withdraw from the relevant provisions of the Travelcard agreement. 

While this six-month process is now underway, it is important that we are clear this remains reversible and does not therefore mean that Day Travelcards will be withdrawn. We and the Mayor remain open to discussing all options with both the Department for Transport, the Rail Delivery Group and the train operating companies, but in a way which would allow us to continue to meet the requirements of the government funding agreement.  

We would like to reassure you that while these discussions take place Day Travelcards will remain available. The existing daily pay as you go caps on contactless or Oyster, which are used by the overwhelming majority of those travelling, will not be affected by this. 

We will be in touch when we have a further update.

- Update ends - 

Why is the Mayor exploring this? 

We are required to explore this because of conditions of Government funding settlements that have been necessary due to the devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances. Our funding agreement with government requires TfL to develop and implement changes that will generate between £0.5-£1.0bn per year of additional revenue from 2023.

As part of this, we identified potential changes to fares structures and ticketing that could help contribute to generating this additional income.

One option identified was to withdraw from the Travelcard Agreement, which would have meant TfL would have stopped selling and accepting all Travelcards.

This option is no longer being progressed because funding provided by the Mayor means TfL can continue to meet its financial commitments under the government funding settlements, to keep providing weekly and longer-term travelcards.


The current Day Travelcard offer 

Day Travelcards give unlimited travel on TfL services, including bus, Tube, Tram, Docklands Light Railway, London Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth line, and National Rail services in London, and can also be used to get one third off River Services fares. They are only available as paper tickets.

Day Travelcards can be bought for unlimited peak travel (before 09:30) or unlimited off-peak travel (after 09:30 Monday – Friday and any time weekends and bank holidays), and to cover various zones.

When travelling from outside London, customers can buy an “add-on” of a Day Travelcard to be included on their train ticket to travel around London.


 Withdrawing the Day Travelcard would mean

  • TfL would no longer sell, issue, or accept all adult and child Day 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
  • We anticipate that, if TfL ceases to accept Day Travelcards, Rail Operators will also stop selling Zone 1-6 Travelcards. They do however determine their own products and services and have not confirmed their intentions.

This engagement has concluded



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