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PA Media
Transport for London (TfL) expects to lose £4bn this year due to the impact of coronavirus.
Ahead of an emergency finance committee meeting, the organisation said it needs £3.2bn to balance a proposed emergency budget for next year, TfL revealed
During the lockdown, TfL has lost 90% of its overall income,
A spokesperson said: "We have done everything possible to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. This was the right thing to do and has saved lives."
"It is clear that the long term impact of the coronavirus will mean that we need financial support now and into the future so that we can support the recovery of London and the UK.
"We are in constructive discussions with the Government over the necessary financial support."
In the 2019-20 budget TfL set up a reserve of £2.2bn to meet future financial challenges. That year TfL earned £4.9bn from fares, making up 47% of the transport authority's income.
However, the lockdown has led to a 95% cut in people using the Tube compared to this time last year.
The number of bus passengers has also dropped, by 85%, and customers no longer have to tap-in to pay for rides as part of measures to protect drivers.
Most TfL services are still running, but 7,000 staff - about 25% of the workforce - have been furloughed to cut costs.
Unless emergency funding can be found TfL may publish an unbalanced budget, which would ban TfL from spending any new cash.