Plans to introduce a new ticket price cap on the Tyne and Wear Metro have prompted a mixed reaction from passengers and campaigners, amid warnings that many travellers could see fares rise rather than fall.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness announced on Monday that Metro journeys will be capped at £2.50 for a single trip and £5 for a day’s travel. However, the cap will apply only to passengers using a Pop pay-as-you-go smartcard, limiting who benefits from the headline promise.
Metro operator Nexus described the move as a “game changer”, saying it would deliver the most affordable Metro travel seen for many years. But detailed fare tables published later the same day revealed that several fares will increase from 1 April.
Under the new structure, passengers making longer journeys — such as travelling from the North Tyneside coast into central Newcastle or using the Northumberland Line — could save up to 34% compared with current prices.
By contrast, shorter journeys will become more expensive. A one-zone single ticket will rise by 10%, from £2 to £2.20, while daily Pop caps for one- and two-zone travel will increase by up to 7.1%, rising to £3.30 and £4.50 respectively.
Kevin Dickinson, from the Sort Out the Metro campaign, said the changes made using a Pop card “certainly worthwhile”, particularly as paper ticket prices are also set to rise. However, he warned that season ticket holders and daily commuters would feel the impact.
A 4.6% rise in season ticket prices, he said, was “disappointing” and appeared to penalise those who rely on the Metro for work. “For people making shorter, return journeys, the savings don’t apply — they’ll simply pay more,” he added.
Metro passenger Laura Plows, from North Shields, welcomed reductions to what she described as some of the most expensive long-distance fares, but said she does not use a Pop card and is reluctant to register. “A lot of people don’t like handing over personal details just to travel,” she said.
Transport user groups broadly welcomed the cap, calling it a step towards simpler and more affordable public transport, while urging quicker progress on integrated bus and Metro tickets and contactless payments.
However, concerns remain over the financial impact. Nexus has previously warned it may need to use up to £18 million in reserves to balance its books by 2029 due to inflation and reduced post-Covid passenger numbers.
While the full package of changes is expected to generate around £700,000 in extra annual revenue, the mayor’s office will need to spend roughly £1 million to offset losses from reduced long-distance fares.
Critics have questioned whether the policy is sustainable, while Nexus insists the simplified fares will attract new passengers — as seen with recent bus fare caps — and help grow Metro usage in the long term.
