Before 1983 London Underground season tickets were priced on a point-to-point basis depending on the distance traveled. I would like to know the exact prices for station-to-station annual season tickets between 1971 and 1983. If an exact formula based on distance or a rule of thumb was used this would be ideal, otherwise I would want either a station-to-station listing of prices or at least a substantial list of example fares. I would like this information varying yearly between 1971 and 1983 or at least what the fares were in 1971, 1981, and then just before the introduction of zonal fares in 1983.

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TfL Ref: FOI-2487-1920

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17^th November 2019 asking for information about the cost of annual season tickets on the London Underground between 1971 and 1983.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.

Specifically you asked:

“Before 1983 London Underground season tickets were priced on a point-to-point basis depending on the distance traveled. I would like to know the exact prices for station-to-station annual season tickets between 1971 and 1983. If an exact formula based on distance or a rule of thumb was used this would be ideal, otherwise I would want either a station-to-station listing of prices or at least a substantial list of example fares. I would like this information varying yearly between 1971 and 1983 or at least what the fares were in 1971, 1981, and then just before the introduction of zonal fares in 1983.”

I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, we estimate that to provide it would exceed the costs threshold for responding to requests as set out in section 12 of the FOI Act.. Under section 12, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, and then locating, retrieving or extracting it from other information, would exceed the appropriate limit of £450. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described – equivalent to 18 hours work.

To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit you may wish to consider narrowing or reframing its scope. I understand from the colleagues who hold the information that if you restricted your request to a list of no more than 10 preferred station to station season ticket options (preferably into central London since these are more likely to be listed), then this could be achievable within the costs limit, although this is still a considerable task for a 12-13 year period. If your request was limited further to 10 station to station season tickets and for just 1971, 1981 and 1983 it would make the likelihood of bringing it into line with the costs limit more likely still.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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