London Tube Fares – Senior Citizen Discounts For Over 60s

Is tube travel free for seniors?

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.

Can tourists get a 60+ Oyster card?

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.