Fares on the Tyne and Wear Metro (as well as the Shields Ferry) will be increased from Tuesday 1st July. As part of the reminder of the new fares, Nexus are encouraging people to switch to Pop Pay As You Go (PAYG) which will continue to provide discounts on travel when compared to buying from ticket machines on the day.
The fares are changing as a result of increased operating costs and they were agreed by the North East Combined Authority’s Cabinet meeting in January. However, it was decided to delay their introduction until July rather than April in recognition of the major disruption experienced to services at the end of 2024 following the closure of tunnels beneath the Gateshead flyover as a safety precaution.
Helen Matthews, Commercial Director at Nexus, said: “Our fares package will see discounts for PAYG customers maintained, offering a saving of up to £1.60 a day with a Pop card, or using the product via an Android smartphone.
“If customers switch to PAYG this year, they will be paying the same prices as paper ticket holders were paying in 2020.
“We are freezing fares for young people, which meets region-wide ambitions to make public transport more affordable for them and support the Mayor’s plans to tackle child poverty
“Some fares do need to increase in order to help us address the challenges of higher operational costs, which have increased by more than 5% when compared to last year. We believe we have put forward a balanced set of fares.
“In consultation with North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, we’re implementing the fare proposals from 1 July 2025 rather than from 1 April. Holding back the changes recognises the exceptional disruption caused to customers at the end of 2024 when the central Metro tunnels under the Gateshead flyover were closed at short notice for ten days affecting journeys across the whole network.
“Metro is a public service and doesn’t make a profit, so we require financial support from both Central and Local Government, alongside the revenue that we generate from fares, to operate the system.”
The average increase of tickets will be 4.6%. Increases will be seen on standard season tickets, singles, and day tickets whilst the Metro Gold Card (which offers unlimited off-peak Metro travel for pensioners and those with disabilities for an annual payment) will go up from £12 to £15, the first increase for ten years.
The cheapest way to travel will remain as Pop Pay As You Go (PAYG), available on the Pop Smartcard and Android smartphones. This gives a saving of up to £1.60 a day against paper tickets.
Young persons tickets will be simplified with the removal of the Junior Blue smartcard (for those under 16). Under 16s will instead be able to get the Pop Blue Smartcard (available to anyone 21 and under) which has a daily cap of £2.20 (under 16s previously enjoyed a cap of £1.90). Single fares for young people will remain as £1.