Interesting article from Bloomberg on the scheduled fare increase:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...amp;refer=news

What the article doesn't mention though is that these price rises are all about trying to get more people to use Oyster Cards which are a much more efficient ticketing mechanism.

It's sad though that many tourists don't know this or are intimidated by the complicated guidelines on what Oyster card to get that they end up paying this inflated cost.

However the article is right in saying that the Circle Line is a disgrace as it is so unreliable especially at peak hours.

One other change of interest to Oyster card users is that from 19 November, users will be charged the maximum fare of £4 if they do not "touch out" at the end of their journey. Many stations, especially outside central London and in the evening, are unstaffed so turnstiles are out of use; it's easy to forget to "touch out" but you will then be charged £4 for that journey (and it will not count towards a daily "cap" so will be in addition to any other fares you've paid that day).

It's not that expensive if you use an oyster card. A week's unlimited travel in zones 1-3 costs me £26, which I don't think is that bad.

And the circle line? Luxury! You should try the wimbledon branch of the district line. Then you'll know true misery.

The quality of the research for the article is summed up by the line "275 stations stretching from Uxbridge in the west to Beckton in the east." Geographically-incorrect, and Beckton isn't even a tube station.