Greater Manchester rail fares – watchdog comment

07 November 2025

​From Sunday 7 December 2025, train travel across Greater Manchester is due to become simpler, with a range of fares being replaced with just two options for everyone who buys a ticket on the day: Anytime and Off Peak.

They will be valid with all train operators on all journeys that start and end at a Greater Manchester station (all stations in the Greater Manchester city region plus Glossop, Hadfield and Dinting which are within the Greater Manchester Ticketing Boundary). 

Single fares will be priced at exactly half the cost of a return. It is part of the Government’s plans to modernise the railways and make them simpler, more flexible and passenger focused. 

Commenting on the new fares, Natasha Grice, Director of Rail for independent watchdog Transport Focus said:  

“The announcement of new rail fares in Greater Manchester is a positive step towards simplification of fares, which we have long called for.  

“Alongside value for money, we know that passengers want easy access to the best ticket for their journeys.   

“We will be watching closely how this works in practice to identify any issues that passengers experience and wider lessons for other parts of the rail network.”