Coronavirus: Transport for London secures emergency £1.6bn bailout

Under the bailout's terms, London mayor Sadiq Khan is expected to restore a full Underground service as soon as possible.

He has also agreed to increase bus and Tube fares by 1% above inflation.

Mr Khan had urged the government to provide support or risk TfL running out of money.

BBC London Political Editor Tim Donovan said other measures agreed included:

• Placing Stay Alert advertising on the transport network
• Reporting staff absenteeism rates to civil servants
• A longer-term review of TfL finances.

The BBC has been told a £500m loan agreed with the Department for Transport forms part of the total.

A mayoral source said the government had "belatedly agreed financial support for TfL to deal with Covid-19 - as they have for every other train and bus operator in the country".

"They have forced ordinary Londoners to pay a very heavy price for doing the right thing on Covid-19 by hiking TfL fares, temporarily suspending the Freedom Pass at busy times and loading TfL with debt that Londoners will pay for in the long run."

Mr Khan's offer to raise fares by 1% above inflation goes against a pledge made during this year's mayoral election campaign.

In the run-up to the ballot, since deferred until 2021, he had promised "cost of living" increases in line with the Retail Price Index.

TfL had said it would have been forced to issue a Section 114 notice - the equivalent of a public body going bust - if no deal had been reached by the end of the day.

London mayor Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey said the government had had to take control of the TfL board and its finances, adding: "The coronavirus highlighted existing structural flaws within TfL's balance sheet - the primary cause was our profligate mayor."