Everything you need to know about the Metrolink zones
Transport For Greater Manchester (TFGM) will be introducing new ticket zones for Metrolink from Sunday January 13. TFGM bosses say an easy to understand zones based system will be used for all ticket prices – offering simpler, more flexible and better value fares.
Zonal fares in detail
Under the new system, four ringed zones will be introduced on Metrolink. The zones have been determined based on the distance and time taken to travel, as well as a number of local factors which have been taken into account as the network has expanded.
Fares will be calculated based on the number of zones customers travel in, with each zone only counted once.
For example:
– A journey from Manchester Airport to Bury will be charged as a four zone fare.
– A 7 Day Zone 1 + Zone 2 ticket will allow you unlimited travel within Zone 1 and Zone 2 for 7 days.
Return fares (peak and off-peak) will be replaced by daily travel cards allowing unlimited travel within the selected zones. TFGM bosses say this will make daily travel more convenient and will offer the flexibility to enjoy more journeys for the same price.
Some stops will be located on the boundary between two zones eg Stretford on the Altrincham Line. These stops will be included in the zone which will give the lower fare to the customer dependent on the direction of travel. For example:
– A journey from Stretford to Sale will be calculated as a Zone 3 fare.
– A journey from Stretford to Piccadilly will be calculated as a Zone 1 + Zone 2 fare.
Customers will be able to use all existing and future ticketing and payment options to travel, including contactless, get me there (app and smart card) and paper tickets. Contactless ‘Pay As You Go’ will launch after travel zones next year, allowing daily ‘capping’ of fares. Customers will be able to use their contactless payment card (or device) to make as many journeys as required in a day, knowing that we’ll work out their single or travelcard prices for them.
Fare zones will not affect the current rail ticket add-on.
How will this affect fares?
The zones will be introduced alongside a pre-planned fare increase and TFGM bosses say they are setting the majority of fares to the lowest possible price. They claim most customers will pay less for their zonal fares than they would have done if the increases had been introduced under the current system. For example, the price of the network-wide peak one-day travelcard will be reduced from £7.60 to £7.
Travel within any single zone will be set at the same price, so fares in the current City Zone area of the network will increase, to be consistent with other similar fares across Greater Manchester.
Prices
Any single zone (1, 2, 3 or 4)
- Single: £1.40
- 1-day travelcard (peak): £2.60
- 1-day travelcard (off-peak): £1.80 or family £3.50
- 7-day: £10.20
- 28-day: £35
- Annual: £400
Two zones (1+2)
- Single: £2.80
- 1-day travelcard (peak): £4.20
- 1-day travelcard (off-peak): £3.40 or family £5
- 7-day: £17
- 28-day: £58
- Annual: £650
Two zones (2+3 or 3+4)
- Single: £2.40
- 1-day travelcard (peak): £3.40
- 1-day travelcard (off-peak): £3 or family £4.70
- 7-day: £14.80
- 28-day: £50
- Annual: £570
Three zones (1+2+3)
- Single: £3.80
- 1-day travelcard (peak): £6
- 1-day travelcard (off-peak): £4.20 or family £6.90
- 7-day: £24.60
- 28-day: £81
- Annual: £930
Three zones (2+3+4)
- Single: £3.20
- 1-day travelcard (peak): £4.60
- 1-day travelcard (off-peak): £3.80 or family £6.70
- 7-day: £19.80
- 28-day: £67
- Annual: £740
All zones (1+2+3+4)
- Single: £4.60
- 1-day travelcard (peak): £7
- 1-day travelcard (off-peak): £4.80 or family £7.10
- Weekend travelcard £6.60 or family £9.20
- 7-day: £30
- 28-day: £98
Annual: £1,110
A single ticket will allow customers to make one journey and wil be valid for two hours. Off-peak will be valid after 9.30am on weekdays and all day on weekends/public holidays. A Weekend ticket will be valid from 6pm Friday until the last service on Sunday. A Family ticket will be available for groups of one to three children (under 16) travelling with one or two adults.
Why is a change being made?
TFGM bosses say the introduction of zones is an important step toward delivering the long-term objectives for fares and ticketing as set out in the Greater Manchester 2040 Transport Strategy. They say it will make using Metrolink simpler, more convenient and better value for money.
For more information visit the Transport For Greater Manchester website.