Normally when we receive news of fare changes it means one thing – they are rising! But the new fare structure for Midland Metro, due to be introduced from 2nd January, is a bit different as although some fares are on the increase there are also some with are decreased and in addition some brand new fares are thrown into the mix.
Off peak travel is the big winner with these fare changes with the adult daysaver (purchased after 0930) now costing only £5 instead of the previous £5.40 with the equivalent child version also decreasing to £3.50 (instead of £3.90). All adult off peak returns are also reduced with the stage 1 version costing £3 (was £3.70) and the stage 2 return now £4.50 (was £4.70). The stage 3 return hasn’t been reduced but this ticket, costing £5, is now valid as an off peak daysaver.
Two new fares are introduced costing just £1 – the Birmingham City Centre Hop (Jewellery Quarter to Bull Street/New Street) and the Wolverhampton City Centre Hop (Priestfield to St George’s). A new evening group travel ticket (allowing 5 people to travel together and 1800) is also introduced, evening5 will cost £7.
Obviously there are also some increases with Adult Singles all up – stage 1 is now £2.50 (was £2.30), stage 2 is £3.10 (was £3) and stage 3 is £4 (was £3.80). On the peak Adult Day Returns there is a mixed bag of changes with the stage 1 version falling to £3 (from £3.90) whereas the stage 2 version is up to £5.10 (from £4.90). The stage 3 day return increases to £6.30 (from £6) but is now valid as an all day Metro and Bus daysaver.
And for anyone who wants to save even more on their journeys on Midland Metro all fares are available cheaper when paying by Swift Pay As You Go smartcard. Adult singles are 10p cheaper and adult returns and daysavers see a discount of 20p.
Full details of the new fares are available at http://nxbus.co.uk/the-metro/news/midland-metro-fares-changes-2016.
£5 for a Day ticket still seems somewhat expensive! The same ticket in manchester also costs £5! (8 ‘lines’ as opposed to 1!!)
I was going to point out that much better if you are travelling from outside the area is a plusbus which is only £3.20 for the whole PTE area, although the maps on the relevant webpage seems to imply otherwise – I have asked plusbus for clarification.
Rather surprised to get a near instantaneous response to the webform confirming still valid throughout the area.
The £5 off peak is probably a combined metro and bus ticket not just metro line one only