Travelling without a ticket on the West Midlands Metro is set to get a lot more expensive from 2026 with confirmation that the penalty fare is increasing to £100 – up from the current £10 and bringing the network in line with other systems across the UK.
The change will come in the new year at the same time as all passengers will need to purchase a ticket before boarding the tram. Although ticket machines have already been introduced on the network, all trams have still carried conductors selling on-board tickets but this will all change in the new year.
To help support this new policy, validator poles are being installed to allow “Tap-in and Tap-out” payments to be made for travel on the Metro. This will allow passengers to use a bank card or smart device to make a quick and secure contactless payment for their journeys. These will be switched on in the new year, and the new penalty fare of £100 will not be introduced until this has happened.
Michael Reading-Skilton, Head of Commercial at West Midlands Metro, said: “While fare evasion on the Metro is no higher than on other tramways, the vast majority of our customers feel it is unfair that some people think they can get away with travelling without a ticket.
“We share their frustration, and the increase in the penalty fare will act as a further deterrent to this unacceptable behaviour as we move towards a new, more convenient ticketing system that promotes fairness and aligns the Metro with wider industry standards.”