Students struggle with costs after hack leads to loss of discounted fares

Students in London fear they may have to abandon their school and university courses to save money after a cyberhack on Transport for London's IT systems left them unable to apply for discounted travelcards.

- Anna Tims

TfL suspended applications for discounted travel passes when its systems were hacked in early September, compromising the details of about 5,000 Oyster card holders. It is unable to say when the system would be restored.

Students face a sharp rise in travel costs as they have to pay standard fares after the hack. A teenager from Walsall was arrested in connection with the cyber-attack, which has also caused problems with live tube times on the TfL Go and Citymapper apps.

A third-year architecture undergraduate said she was considering dropping out because she was struggling to afford the daily fares to and from campus. The 20-year-old, who did not want to be named, was unable to renew her annual 18+ student Oyster photocard when it expired a month ago, and said her weekly travel costs had now doubled.

“My timetable is subject to last-minute changes, and I'm now unable to attend some lectures as I struggle to pay for several trips to and from campus each day,” she said.