Students and young people can look forward to paying less for the cost of Metro travel in 2014.
The reduced prices will come into effect from Thursday 2 January as part of the annual review of Metro fares.
A four week all zone student MetroSaver is coming down from £53.25 to £48. The inner zone equivalent for Newcastle and Sunderland comes down from £28.80 to £25.95.
The student annual MertroSaver for inner Newcastle and Sunderland is down from £319 to £266. The annual all zone student MetroSaver comes down from £416 to £337.
The inner Newcastle and Sunderland student term MetroSavers costs £100 and the all zone equivalent costs £125.
The one week all zone 16-18 MetroSaver will come down from £9.90 to £8.15. The four week all zone 16-18 MetroSaver is down from £33.30 to £27.40
Metro travel for all student students will be 30% cheaper than the equivalent adult price, while the cost of Metro child tickets will be frozen.
Nexus is also introducing a student MetroSaver which is available for the duration of an academic term to give students greater choice and flexibility in purchasing the best tickets for their individual travel needs.
The cost of the 16-18 MetroSaver tickets will be 60% less than the full adult equivalent price. The Student MetroSaver will be 30% less than the full adult equivalent product.
Director General of Nexus, Bernard Garner, said: “We are pleased to offer increased discounts for students and young people in 2014. All students will be paying less to travel on the Metro system next year.
“Setting the Metro fares always means taking tough decisions but we have ensured that these discounts are extended. Child fares are also being frozen.
“Our costs increase each year so we have to increase some adult fares. These increases remain below the rate of inflation, so people will pay less in real terms next year than they are this year. The 2014 Metro fares are the best rail fares package in the country.”
The price of Metro child tickets will not be increased and will remain at the 2013 prices. The ITA already decided to maintain the £1.10 price of the Child All Day Ticket (CAT), valid on all forms of public transport, at its meeting in May.
The cost of a Metro Gold Card, which offers pensioners and people with disabilities discounted Metro travel for a one off annual payment, will be separately reviewed by the ITA in the New Year.
Adult Metro fares are to go up by an average of 2.5%, which is below July’s Retail Price Index (RPI) rate of inflation. This was agreed by the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority on 28 November.
There will be a 7% reduction in the cost of all annual commercial tickets including the Annual MetroSaver, the Corporate MetroSaver and Annual Metro Student Card.