Metrolink ticket zones launched on Sunday 13 January 2019.
Stop-to-stop tickets have been replaced with simpler, more flexible and better value zone based tickets.
You can buy your zone based tickets from all the usual points of sale, including, ticket vending machines at Metrolink stops, the get me there website and app, TfGM Travelshops and from PayPoint retailers.
How it works
Every Metrolink stop is in a ticket zone. There are four ticket zones, with zone 1 covering stops in the city centre and zone 4 covering stops furthest away from the city centre.
When you buy a Metrolink ticket you will choose which zone or zones you want the ticket to be valid in. Your ticket will be valid for travel anywhere within your chosen zone(s).
You must have a ticket which is valid for all the zones you travel through. You cannot travel through a zone without a ticket which is valid for that zone.
For example, if you make a journey from Manchester Airport in zone 4, through the city centre in zone 1 and out to Rochdale Town Centre in zone 4, you must have a zones 1+2+3+4 ticket, as your journey travels through all four zones. A zone 4 only ticket would not be valid for this journey.
Stops on the border of two zones
There are 11 stops which are on the border of two zones. These stops are in two fare zones. They are shown on the tram map with the stop name in a white box.
For example, Stretford is on the border of zones 2 and 3, so is in zone 2 and in zone 3. If you travel from Stretford to a stop in zone 2 or 1, you should treat Stretford as a stop in zone 2. If you travel to a stop in zone 3 or 4, you should treat Stretford as a stop in zone 3.
Use our zone finder to find out which zones you travel through.
Add on tickets for journeys outside your zones
If you have a paper or app ticket, and want to make a journey that starts or ends in a zone not covered by your current ticket, you can buy a second ticket for only the additional zone(s) not covered by your current ticket.
For example, if you have a 28-day zone 1+2 paper or app ticket, and on one day want to travel in zones 1, 2 and 3, you can purchase a 1-day zone 3 only ticket for the portion of your journeys not covered by your current ticket. You should present the ticket for the zone you are currently in when inspected.
Ticket machines at tram stops only sell tickets which include the zone they are in. You may need to get off the tram mid journey to buy your add on ticket.
Unfortunately add on tickets cannot be purchased for get me there smart cards and you must buy a separate ticket for all the zones you travel through if you are making a journey to zones not covered by your current ticket.
Ticket prices
The price of your zone based ticket depends on which and how many zones you travel through. To find the cost of your Metrolink travel, use our ticket price finder.
get me there and System One travelcards
All get me there and System One:
- combined tram and bus travelcards
- combined tram, bus and train travelcards
are valid for all Metrolink zones, except for System One County Cards which are valid for tram travel in zone 1 only.
get me there Metrolink only tickets are valid only in your chosen zones.
Train tickets
Train tickets from or to MANCHESTER CTLZ are valid on Metrolink journeys in zone 1.
Combined train and tram tickets bought from a train station ticket office or a ticket vending machine at a Metrolink stop, will now be to Metrolink zone(s) instead of a named stop. E.g. a train ticket from Leeds to Media City will become Leeds to Metrolink Zones 1+2.
Got a question? Ask Eddy…
As well as ticket zones, we’ve launched the next generation in customer service technology with our first ever online ChatBot, named Eddy!
Eddy, which is powered by artificial intelligence, can "chat" with you to answer your questions about the new fares structure.
You could ask it which zone your stop is in, what ticket you would need, and how much it costs.
We’re currently beta testing the bot, so as you use the service, Eddy will "learn" and become even more helpful.
In the future, we will explore the possibility of further features on the ChatBot to make customer service and travel easier.
