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| Athlete's Oyster Photocard |
There is a secret free travel scheme which is known only by TfL staff and a selected group of people: the Elite Athlete's Oyster photocard. Holders of this card receive free travel on Transport for London (TfL) services and most railway services from zones 1-9. To be eligible, they must be a highly ranked athlete, such as a gold medalist, as defined by the British Olympic Association (BOA). The purpose of this article is to show the research about this scheme which has not been widely publicised.
The Launch of the Elite Athletes Oyster Photocard
Here's the text on the launch of the Elite Athletes Oyster photocard:
Newsrail Express 319
Launch of Elite Athletes Oyster photocard
National Rail and Transport for London are supporting the British Olympic effort by providing free travel in London to athletes ranked highly (i.e. Gold) by the British Olympic Association (BOA).
These Gold ranked athletes, of which there are approximately 800 nationally and 50 currently living in the London area, can now apply (via the BOA) for an Elite Athletes Oyster photocard. Not all eligible athletes are expected to apply for the free travel concession, and some may be under 18 or under 16. These athletes will be issued with the same Elite Athletes Oyster photocard as those over 18.
Elite Athletes Oyster photocard will be loaded with a period All Zones Travelcard for unlimited travel on trains, tubes, buses, DLR and Croydon Tramlink throughout the London Fare Zones 1-6 and additionally valid to and from Amersham, Chesham and Watford stations on the Metropolitan Line. [Note: Normal Travelcard season ticket excess fare arrangements will apply for travel beyond the area of validity and no facility exists for additional discounted travel for the card holder or any accompanying adults or children.]
Photocards will have a maximum validity of 12 months but will be dated to expire on one of the following dates in 2007 and in subsequent years; 28 February (or 29 in a leap year), 31 March, 30 June or 31 October. The expiry date is shown on the reverse of the card and when reached, the photocard will no longer work gates and provided the athlete remains eligible, a new photocard card will be issued.
A specimen Elite Athletes Oyster photocard is shown below. It can be identified by an “EA” in a dark blue box above the cardholder’s name and by the expiry date on the reverse of the card.
We can also look at the London Underground Staff Guide to Fares and Ticketing published in 2025. Although the 2026 edition hasn't been published on the Freedom of Information section of the TfL website yet, the information is likely to be the same.
Request ID: FOI-3904-2425
Date published: 25 March 2025
Book 3 Discounts and Photocards - March 2025
23. ATHLETE’S OYSTER PHOTOCARD
Athlete’s Oyster photocards are given to athletes who are Team GB Gold Club members as defined by the British Olympics Association (BOA). It is an Oyster photocard loaded with a Zones 1-9 Travelcard. The concession expiry date is shown on the front of the photocard.
It allows free travel at all times on all TfL modes and National Rail services within the London zonal area except on the following:
• The London Cable Car
• Heathrow Express
• Southeastern high speed service between Stratford and St Pancras International The Athlete’s photocard is issued to the holder for their use only.
Further information regarding the scheme can be found on the Freedom of Information (FOI) section of the TfL website:
Request ID: FOI-4613-2526
Date published: 30 March 2026
Question 1. When was the Athlete's Oyster Photocard scheme started?
Answer: May 2006.
Question 2. How is the scheme funded?
Answer: The scheme is funded by Transport for London.
Question 3. Do any fares or taxpayer monies fund or subsidise the scheme (including the cost of the Zones 1-9 Travelcard provided to the athletes)?
Answer: The scheme is funded from TfL’s fares income and other operating income.
Question 4. What is the official stated purpose of the scheme?
Answer: The original purpose of the scheme was to support ‘Gold Level’ athletes, as determined by the British Olympic Association, prepare for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. The scheme was subsequently extended beyond 2012 to continue supporting athletes in preparation for future sporting events. The scheme is directly managed by the British Olympic Association.
Request ID: FOI-4968-2526
Date published: 24 April 2026
Question 1. How many Athlete's Oyster Photocard holders have there been in each individual year since the scheme launched in May 2006?
Answer: Data is only held back to 2011, as follows:
| Year | Number of cardholders |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 410 |
| 2012 | 662 |
| 2013 | 700 |
| 2014 | 680 |
| 2015 | 695 |
| 2016 | 701 |
| 2017 | 628 |
| 2018 | 662 |
| 2019 | 668 |
| 2020 | 647 |
| 2021 | 648 |
| 2022 | 697 |
| 2023 | 648 |
| 2024 | 522 |
| 2025 | 648 |
| 2026 | 328 |
Question 2. What has been the annual cost to TfL for the Athlete's Oyster Photocard scheme in each individual year since it launched?
Answer: TfL does not hold the requested information as no such analysis has been carried out. Note that the number of journeys undertaken through the scheme represents a very small proportion of the millions of journeys made on our network each day and as a result no supplementary services are required.
TfL Nominee Passes: A Long-Standing Employee Benefit
Then we move on to the TfL nominee passes, which a person who lives in the same household as a TfL or bus operator staff member can use to get free travel on TfL services. As of February 2026, there are currently 21,235 TfL nominee passes in use by eligible people.
TfL stated the purpose of the scheme: "This is a discretionary and long-standing employee benefit given since before TfL was formed in 2000, which is integral to TfL’s employee offering, to enable us to attract and retain staff as part of the overall reward package. They have a very low-cost impact because the number of journeys is an extremely small proportion of the total number of journeys made every day, meaning very little lost income and no additional services needing to be operated."
Political Spotlight and Historical Context
Although I don't take sides in politics, the TfL nominee pass has often been in the political spotlight. In 2020, the City Hall Tories suggested that TfL could save £44 million by cutting the perk and using the funds for other schemes. This was defended by Labour Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who stated it is at no cost to TfL. The previous Conservative Mayor and former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also defended the scheme during his Mayor’s Question Time in 2013, stating: "The cost of providing free travel to TfL staff and their nominees on TfL services is nil, given that much of this travel is for work purposes and the remainder is insufficient to require additional services to be operated to cope with it."
Then in July 2020, Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan stated during the COVID lockdown: "TfL has not issued any new or replacement Nominee passes since lockdown began in mid-March unless the nominee is a Key worker. Current travel advice applies to all passengers on the TfL network, including those who use a nominee pass. The nominee pass is a long-standing part of the terms and conditions of Transport for London (TfL) employees and there are no plans to change its use at present."
Current Status and Eligibility
Looking through for recent information regarding the nominee pass, according to an FOI request as of August 2025, TfL stated: "There has been no change to the nominee pass for eligible TfL employees. CSA2 roles continue to qualify for the nominee pass, provided the nominee resides at the employee’s registered home address."
The Case for Financial Review
Just to clarify, I am not advocating for the removal of the Athlete's Oyster Photocard. For the 2024 financial year, the British Olympic Association reported a turnover of approximately £34.2 million with an operating profit of £1.2 million, while its charitable arm, the British Olympic Foundation, recorded a total income of £1.53 million and an operational deficit of £94,952. As TfL did not show the costs of financing the Elite Athlete's Oyster Photocard, I suggest that there should be a review of the scheme, including the finances, as some athletes receive income through sponsorships. This is important to keep transport travel costs affordable for the general public.
The athletes are indeed promoters of healthy living through sports, as they indirectly encourage people to take sustainable travel such as walking and cycling. Along with transport enthusiasts, I believe they are promoters of public transport, which is vital in tackling climate change.
Future Outlook on Concessions
My priority regarding free travel concessions is helping disabled people and those on low incomes. The concession schemes in England are currently in a mess, and I am aware that in recent months, the UK government has expanded the eligibility criteria for the Disabled Persons Railcard.
As of March 2026, the scheme has been opened to those with existing documentation that was previously not accepted, such as Blue Badge holders and those with a Disabled Persons Bus Pass. This is a significant step in making the network more inclusive for those with both visible and non-visible disabilities. I will go into detail about the mess of the free travel concessions in an upcoming article in due course.
I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.
Further reading
