Ticket prices on the Metro rising this weekend.
Tickets prices on the Tyne and Wear Metro will jump significantly for many passengers this weekend.
A major fare rise of up to 13.9% is due to come into force this Saturday, April 1.
The price hike was signed off by councillors earlier this year, despite being labelled “insulting” to Metro travellers, as the rail network battles to keep up with escalating costs.
However, passengers have been urged once again to switch to using a Pop Pay As You Go card in order to avoid the increase.
For the second year running, the price of single and daysaver tickets bought using the smartcard are being frozen – meaning that travelling with a Pop card will be up to £1.35 cheaper per day.
Equivalent paper tickets purchased at stations will see their prices jump by between 8.8% and 13.9%, depending on which zones they cover.
Monthly and yearly passes will also be up to 11% more expensive, though the price of a week-long Metro ticket is being kept lower and will rise only by a maximum 3.4%.
The maximum cost of a single journey will rise from £3.90 to £4.30, a day ticket from a £5.70 to £6.20, a weekly pass from £24 to £24.40, and a four-week ticket from £81.30 to £90.20.
In January, the Sort Out the Metro group slammed the prospect of rising fares at a time when passengers are enduring regular disruption – complaining that people will “end up paying significantly more for a service they are unable to use a lot of the time”.
Since then, operator Nexus has reduced the Metro’s timetable by scrapping extra services that ran at peak times due to a lack of working trains.
Huw Lewis, customer services director for Nexus, said the price hikes were needed to help cope with the impact of inflation – particularly on the cost of the high voltage electricity which powers the Metro network.
Urging more passengers to make the switch to Pop cards, Mr Lewis said: “We are doing all we can afford to provide good value to people using Metro, by freezing the price of Pop Pay As You Go travel, and travel for young people aged up to 22, older people and disabled customers.
“While some tickets will rise in price in our annual fare review it is simple to avoid paying more for Metro travel, or even cut the cost of your journey, by switching from paper tickets to Pop Pay As You Go on android or on a smart card.
“Metro is a public service run without profit, so all the revenue we get from fares goes back into maintaining and operating the network. At a time of rising prices generally we have focussed on providing value wherever we can to our customers.
“If you are already using Pop Pay As You Go prices will be frozen for a second year – that’s the same price people were paying in the spring of 2021. Customers will save more than £1 a day by getting this product, either by getting a free Pop card by applying for one online or through Google Pay if you have an Android smartphone.
“This is the second year running that we have frozen the price of our PAYG product in order to help our customers with the rising cost of living. A third of adult customers are already using Pop Pay As You Go and we will continue to encourage more people to go smart and enjoy the lowest fares that we have on offer.”
Prices for young people aged 16 to 21 using Pop Blue or Pop 19-21 smartcards will be frozen, as will the price of a Gold Card for older and disabled people.
Here is a full summary of the Metro and Shields Ferry fare changes as of April 1:
The cost of a single journey paper Metro ticket will go up from £2.30 to £2.60 for one zone, from £3.20 to £3.60 for two zones, and from £3.90 to £4.30 for three zones; The cost of a one zone adult day ticket will go up from £3.60 to £4.10, a two zone Day Ticket is up from £4.70 to £5.20, an all-zone Day Ticket is up from £5.70 to £6.20. Equivalent tickets purchased using a Pop Pay As You Go smartcard will stay frozen at 2021 levels, as will fares on the 19-21 Pop card and Pop Blue; The one zone weekly Metro Season Ticket is up from £11.80 to £12.20; a two zone weekly is up from £17.60 to £18; an all zone weekly is up from £24 to £24.40; The one zone four-week Metro Season Ticket is up from £41.90 to £46.50; the two zone from £61.50 to £68.20; an all zone four weekly is up from £81.30 to £90.20. The price of the one zone annual Metro Season Ticket is up from £462.50 to £513.30; the two-zone annual is up from £646 to £717; the all zone annual is up from £715 to £793.60. The Metro Gold Card, which gives pensioners and people with disabilities unlimited off-peak Metro travel, will remain frozen in price at £12 – or £24 for those not resident in Tyne and Wear. A single ticket on the Shields Ferry is going up from £2.10 to £2.30; a Ferry day ticket is going up from £3.40 to £3.70; a child ferry single is up from 80p to 90p. Pop Pay As You Go fares for the ferry will be frozen at current prices. A one-week ticket for the Shields Ferry will go up from £11 to £11.30; a four-week ferry ticket is up from £38.20 to £42.40.