London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Mar 29, 2026

TfL: Sadiq Khan warns Tube and bus cuts are imminent

TfL: Sadiq Khan warns Tube and bus cuts are imminent

Sadiq Khan has warned cuts to Tube and bus services in the capital are imminent after the government said it would halt Transport for London's (TfL) long-term funding deal.

Grant Shapps says the government has agreed to extend TfL's current emergency agreement until 13 July.

The emergency funding deal was due to run out on Friday.

But Mr Shapps said in a letter no more long-term funding would be given unless its relationship with TfL was "reset".

Mr Khan said: "TfL have been left with no choice but to begin imminent preparations for a managed decline scenario which will mean further cuts to services.

"Time is running out and that is why I am once again urging the government to meet with me so that we can finally agree a sustainable, long-term funding deal that will protect not only London's economic recovery, but that of the whole country."

The Department for Transport (DfT) has provided close to £5bn in emergency funds since May 2020 due to Covid-19.

A spokesman accused the Mayor of "burying his head in the sand".

Income for the London transport network, mainly from fares, plummeted during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

A bailout was first agreed with the government in May 2020 and has been extended by differing lengths of time ever since.

Under the terms of the last deal set out in March - and due to run out on Friday - TfL must find £400m of savings in 2022/23.

Mr Khan previously warned that a lack of long-term funding meant an entire Tube line could close and bus services could be cut by a fifth.


But, in a letter addressed to the Mayor of London, Mr Shapps said cutting services should be Mr Khan's "last resort" and not his first.

"In short, the new cuts are not necessary and will not save much money," he wrote.

"They have been artificially created by you as a political weapon in your campaign for a long-term capital funding deal.

"But, bus operations have little or nothing to do with capital funding - they are supported by revenue subsidy, which the government has provided throughout the pandemic and which it will continue to provide."

Grant Shapps said Sadiq Khan's claim that London's transport network was being "levelled down" was hard to reconcile


Mr Shapps said TfL's income, including fares, council tax, business rates, ULEZ road charges and the DfT's emergency revenue, was about the same as before the pandemic.

"In other words, there is, and will be, more than enough money to maintain services," he said.

City Hall has already warned that a failure to secure long-term funding could lead to service cuts and the deterioration of the transport network.

TfL is currently holding a public consultation on cuts to London's bus services, which could result in 16 routes being axed entirely and 78 routes being amended.

TfL's latest funding deal was due to run out on Friday but has been extended until 13 July


Analysis


By BBC London's transport correspondent Tom Edwards

Sadiq Khan has said for many months that without long-term funding at TfL there would be serious cuts to services - the government quite clearly think this does not need to be the case.

The letter to the Mayor of London arguably marks a new low point in the relationship between the Labour Mayor and the Conservative Transport Secretary.

These funding negotiations are always quite fractious but the language in the letter is particularly forthright.

The phrase that stood out was a "reset of the relationship is needed", while the letter also highlights the tricky pensions issue - the cause of recent strikes - it looks like that isn't going away.

Someone once said to me that transport and politics are never far apart - this row emphasises that truth.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
UK Museums House More Than 260,000 Human Remains, New Report Reveals
Surging UK Gilt Yields Reflect Inflation Pressures and Fiscal Uncertainty
UK Issues Updated Guidance on Children’s Screen Time with Focus on Balance and Wellbeing
UK Migration Figures Show Shifting Trends Across Asylum, Visas and Channel Crossings
UK Watchdog Launches Probe into Five Firms Over Alleged Fake Reviews and Ratings
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Urges Stronger Defence Investment as He Questions Allied Naval Capabilities
New COVID Variant Detected in UK Raises Concerns Over Vaccine Effectiveness
FTSE Russell Moves to Standardise Free-Float Rules for UK and International Listings
HBO Max Launches in UK and Ireland, Marking Major Step in Global Streaming Expansion
UK Signals Readiness to Seize Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Escalating Middle East Conflict Seen as Major Threat to UK Economic Stability
Early Challenges Mark Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit
UK Government Rejects Cover-Up Claims After Theft of Former PM Aide’s Phone
Cyprus Opens Strategic Talks with UK Over Sovereign Base Areas
UK Faces Risk of Sharp Inflation Surge Despite Stable Pre-Crisis Figures
UK Police Arrest Two Over Suspected Antisemitic Arson as Iran Link Investigated
UK Inflation Holds at Three Percent Ahead of Oil Price Shock from Iran Conflict
UK Fuel Prices Face Upward Pressure as Global Oil Trends Raise Cost Outlook
Girlguiding UK Sets September Deadline for Membership Policy Change Affecting Trans Participants
Germany and UK Accelerate Wind Power Expansion to Strengthen Energy Security
UK Moves to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations to Political Parties Over Foreign Influence Concerns
UK and Turkey Finalise Major Air Defence Agreement Worth Billions
Apple Introduces Mandatory Age Verification for iPhone Users in the UK
Diverging Views Emerge Over Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance
Trump Signals Frustration with UK Leadership Amid Diverging Approaches to Iran Conflict
UK Government Takes Control of Hunterston B as Landmark Nuclear Decommissioning Begins
UK Public Inflation Expectations Jump Sharply in March, Raising Pressure on Bank of England
×