Metrolink fares are to rise by an average of four per cent from January 2013, Manchester’s transport bosses have announced.
The Transport for Greater Manchester Committee (TfGM) has said the increase will meet rising operating costs and support improvement programmes across the network.
Committee members have said that child fares will be frozen, or reduced, and 51 per cent of individual fares will not change.
Councillor Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM Committee, said: “I can assure passengers that all the money we raise from fares goes back into the network in some way, which means fares will only ever increase to meet the growing costs of running, improving or expanding the network.”
New lines, new trams and the introduction of smart ticketing are all projects that would be funded by the increase.
More than £1 billion is being spent to expand the network, creating new lines to Droylsden and Rochdale Rail station, Oldham and Rochdale town centres, Ashton-under-Lyne, East Didsbury and Manchester Airport via Wythenshawe, and the Second City Crossing.
By 2014, the 32-strong fleet of T68s will also have been retired and replaced by a new fleet of 94 M5000 trams.
