Tyne and Wear Metro fare hike delayed due to flyover disruption

The annual cost increase, which will see the price of a single journey rise to a maximum of £4.70, is usually brought in from April. However, the North East Combined Authority has recognised the ‘exceptional’ disruption on the system in recent months.

The planned increases, which equate to an average of 3.6% across the entire transport system, will be delayed until July. The move is expected to be confirmed at Tuesday’s meeting of the combined authority’s cabinet.

A report set to be presented to members states: “Cabinet members will be aware that Metro and ferry fares changes normally take effect from 1 April.

“The recommendation in this paper is that Cabinet approves Metro and ferry fares changes to take effect from 1 July 2025, instead of 1 April, in recognition of the recent disruption felt by Metro passengers, which was exceptional with the impact of the closure of Gateshead flyover having a huge impact across the whole system.”

POP pay as you go cards remain significantly cheaper than buying paper tickets. Fares for young people using POP cards as well as under 16s will remain frozen, as they were last year.

Price increases on secured bus tickets will be implemented from April 1.

Here is a summary of the 2025/26 price rises:

• The cost of a single journey paper Metro ticket will go up from £2.80 to £3.00 for one zone, from £3.80 to £4.00 for two zones, and from £4.50 to £4.70 for three zones;
• The cost of a one-zone adult day paper ticket will go up from £4.40 to £4.60, a two-zone Day Ticket is up from £5.60 to £5.80, an all-zone Day Ticket will increase to £6.70, having been frozen at £5.90 last year
• A PAYG one-zone day ticket will go up from from £1.80- to £2.00;a two-zone PAYG day is up from £2.70 to £2.90; and the all-zone PAYG day ticket up from £3.40 to £3.60;
• The Pop PAYG one-zone single daily cap will go up £2.90 to £3.10, a two-zone PAYG daily cap from £4.00 to £4.20; the three-zone PAYG daily cap is up from £5.00 to £5.20 and the all-zone PAYG daily cap will remain at £6.20
• PAYG travel on Metro for young people aged 16 to 21 using Pop Blue or Pop 19-21 smartcards for single and day tickets will be frozen at £1.00 and £2.20 respectively;
• The one-zone weekly Metro season ticket is up from £13.20 to £13.80, a two-zone weekly from £19.40 to £20.30, and an all-zone weekly from £25.70 to £26.90;
• The one-zone four-week Metro season ticket is up from £50.70 to £53.00, the two-zone from to £72.50 to £76.00; and from £94.00 to £98.30 for all zones;
• The price of the one-zone annual Metro season ticket is up from £559.00 to £5859.00, the two-zone annual from £780.00 to £816.00, and the all-zone annual from £864 to £904;
• A one-zone corporate Metro season ticket will cost £500, a two-zone £658, and £710 for all zones;
• The Metro Gold Card for older and disabled passengers will increase to £15 a year – the first rise in a decade;
• A single ticket on the Shields Ferry is going up from £2.50 to £2.60 for adults and remaining at £1 for children;
• A ferry day ticket is going up from £3.90 to £4.10;
• The price of a single ferry journey on a Pop card will rise from £1.50 to £1.60, and a day ticket from £2.70 to £2.80;
• A one-week ticket for the Shields Ferry will go up from £12 to £12.50 ; a four-week ferry ticket is up from £45 to £47;
• The cost of an adult single short journey on a secured bus fare will increase from £1.80 to £2; long journeys will increase from £2.30 to £2.50;
• An adult day ticket on the buses will increase from £3.70 to £4; a weekly ticket will increase from £17 to £18;
• Child commercial single tickets will remain at £1.