[simpleigh]

That's not right, I'm afraid - the Underground is usually profitable and subsidises loss-making forms of transport (particularly buses). Here's some high-level, pre-pandemic figures: https://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2018/03/average-yield-and...

(based on TfL's draft budget for 2018-19)

[7952]

There is so much pent up demand for transport in the UK that it completely distorts things. You can have a system that is overcrowded, profit making, expensive for users, and underfunded all at the same time. The economic pulls that could fix this are outweighed by things like housing costs.

[hogFeast]

The govt bailed them out last year.

[cryvate1284]

The comment you are replying to said "usually" and that was in response to the GP that said "I don't believe the London Underground has ever been profitable."

The government did not bail out the London Underground in particular last year but TfL, though I would be surprised if the underground was profitable last year.

Anyway, unsure what your comment was adding.

[Milner08]

Right, cause covid. You know, when no one was using the service but they had to keep operating for front line workers... hard to make money when there are no users.

[hogFeast]

So they were profitable...discounting all the times they lost money.