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 journey not covered by your current ticket. You must present both tickets to a Customer Service Representative on request.
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.
Zone based ticket prices include the pre-planned annual price increase which would have taken effect in January even if ticket zones had not been introduced. 78.5% of individual fares are lower under zone based tickets than they would have been if stop-to-stop tickets had been retained, 10% are the same and 11.5% are higher.
The zones have been determined based on the same factors used to design the previous stop-to stop-prices. These include the distance and time taken to travel, along with other local factors which have been taken into account as the network has expanded.
Return tickets replaced with 1-day travelcards
Return tickets have been replaced with 1-day travelcards allowing you unlimited travel for one day within your chosen zones. This gives you better value, allowing you to travel all day instead of only making a return journey.
Existing tickets valid on or after 13 January
If you have a 7 or 28-day stop-to-stop ticket which is valid on or after 13 January 2019, it will continue to be valid for travel between the two stated stops only, until the ticket expires.
If you have an annual paper stop-to-stop season ticket which is valid on or after 13 January 2019, you can replace it with an equivalent zone based ticket and gain the benefits of being able to travel more flexibly. To upgrade your season ticket, bring it into any TfGM Travelshop before 31st March 2019 where we will upgrade it to a get me there smart card ticket with the same end-date, free of charge. There will be no additional cost even if your zone based ticket costs more. Until you upgrade, your paper ticket will be valid between the two stated stops only.
If you have an annual get me there smart card stop-to-stop ticket which is valid for 28 days or more after 13 January 2019, we will automatically contact you and convert your ticket to a zone based equivalent. There will be no additional cost even if your zone based ticket costs more.
If you have a stop-to-stop annual ticket which is valid for 28 days or more after 13 January 2019 and the zone based equivelant ticket you upgrade to is cheaper, you may contact TfGM to request a refund for the difference in fare. We will issue a refund only for the price difference of unused full calendar months remaining on your annual ticket. The refund will be made to your original payment method, and we will waive the refund administration fee, which is normally £25.
Metrolink Travel Club ID card withdrawn
You will no longer need a Metrolink Travelclub ID card to buy 28-day or annual season tickets.
Scholars Permit
The Scholars Permit is only available to people aged 16-19, live in Greater Manchester and in full time education at school or college.
Before 13 January 2019 a Scholars Permit entitled you to buy a half price single or return ticket. From 13 January 2019 return tickets are being replaced by 1-day anytime travelcards and a Scholars Permit will entitle you to buy a half price single or 1-day anytime travelcard.
Don’t forget that tickets bought with your Scholars Permit can only be used to travel to or from school or college. For leisure travel, a get me there 16-18 card may suit you better.
More information about the Scholars Permit.
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.
1-day peak travelcard renamed 1-day anytime travelcard
Peak 1-day travelcards have been renamed anytime 1-day travelcards to reflect that they are valid anytime from the first tram until the last tram on the day the ticket is valid.
1-day off-peak travelcards are valid after 9.30am on weekdays and all day weekends and bank holidays.
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.
