TFL CRISIS: NEW PREMIUM FARE FOR PICCADILLY LINE TO HEATHROW UNFAIR ON LOCALS AND COULD WORSEN AIR QUALITY
PRESS RELEASE
17 DECEMBER 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
TFL CRISIS: NEW PREMIUM FARE FOR PICCADILLY LINE TO HEATHROW UNFAIR ON LOCALS AND COULD WORSEN AIR QUALITY
People living around Heathrow have reacted furiously to the news of a possible 60% increase for Piccadilly Line services at Heathrow and the impact this could have on emissions reduction at Heathrow in the years ahead.
Transport for London announced that, to increase revenue, it proposes to charge a new premium fare on Piccadilly Line journeys from central London to Heathrow underground stations (Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5) (1). The Government will review the proposals prior in January and provide feedback to TfL ahead of a new funding agreement deadline on 4 February (2).
Journeys using the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to stations within Zone 1 will see Peak prices implemented all day, rather than just in morning and evening rush hours. This new premium will see the price of an Off-Peak journey using Contactless payment or Oyster Card increase by a staggering 60% (3).
It is currently unclear if this new fare will apply at weekends and is subject to consultation, impact assessment and decision-making processes before implementation, though further detail of these processes are not yet available
However, precise fare increases for 2022 are yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be an increase of 5% on the current charges, meaning the percentage increase for these journeys could in fact be higher.
Furthermore, existing TfL rail journeys from Heathrow to Zone 1 already incur a premium fare of £10.40 for an Off-Peak single using Contactless or Oyster card (see note 3).
The impact of the proposed charge was met with anger by local campaign group Stop Heathrow Expansion and a Residents Association based close to the Airport.
Air pollution around Heathrow has been at dangerous levels prior to the pandemic, with monitors located around the airport recording illegal levels of harmful pollutants (4). Hillingdon has recorded significant level of health conditions attributed to air pollution, recording the second worst polluted borough in London (5).
Campaigners fear that any new premium charge may lead to local people to use alternative ways to access central London, potentially placing more cars on local roads to stations not subject to these premium charges. Heathrow are set to consult in the new year on its sustainability plans – it is likely that this will include maximum use of public transport by airport traffic as well as local people.
It does not seem to be acknowledged that Heathrow underground stations are used by local people, living in the many villages and towns close to the airport. Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 station connects with Heathrow Central Bus Station, which many rely upon to get home, using routes that serve places such as Harmondsworth, Sipson, Harlington and Colnbrook. Both Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5 stations connect local residents from Bedfont, parts of Feltham, Stanwell and Stanwell Moor.
Geraldine Nicholson from local campaign group Stop Heathrow Expansion, said:
“Air pollution around Heathrow was at dangerous level prior to the pandemic, with monitors located around the airport recording illegal levels of harmful pollutants for local people to breathe, in an area that already has higher than average deaths from air pollution.
“We fear that any new premium charge introduced at our local tube station may lead residents to use alternative ways to access central London, potentially placing more cars on local roads to access stations not subject to these premium charges.”
Jane Taylor, Chair of Harmondsworth and Sipson Residents Association, said:
“Not all users of Heathrow’s Underground stations are directly associated with the airport. To many local residents in villages close to Heathrow, the Piccadilly Line is part of their everyday commuting route to their place of work outside current peak times or allows easy access to services and facilities which are not found in the villages around Heathrow.
“To make us pay 60% extra to go into London is unacceptable at the best of times, let alone when we are already trying to budget for the recent dramatic rise in the costs of heating and food.”
ENDS.
Notes for editors:
1. TfL announcement, 15 Dec 2021 https://twitter.com/BBCTomEdwards/status/1471183236428615681
2. DfT announcement, 17 Dec 2021 https://twitter.com/BBCTomEdwards/status/1471909928549982214
3. Current cost of journeys between Heathrow Underground stations and Zone 1 (central London) using TfL’s single fare finder https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder?intcmp=54716
2021 prices Heathrow Underground stations (Piccadilly Line) to Zone 1:
Peak single: £5.30
Off-Peak single: £3.30
Daily Cap: £13.50
2021 prices, Heathrow Rail stations to Zone 1 using TfL Rail:
Peak single: £11.10
Off-Peak single: £10.40
4. Air pollution analysis around Heathrow, compared to pre-pandemic, Stop Heathrow Expansion, 2020 https://stopheathrowexpansion.co.uk/news/2020/6/22/heathrow-air-pollution-down-dramaticallynbsp
5. Hillingdon air pollution second highest in London https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/blog/most-polluted-london-boroughs