Home > Directions > Tyne and Wear Metro

The Tyne and Wear Metro, known locally as the Metro, is a rapid transit system in North East England linking Newcastle Airport, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. It is used by more than 100,000 residents and visitors every day. There are 60 stations across just over 46 miles. If you're staying with us then the information on this page should help you use and navigate the Tyne and Wear Metro system.

The Tyne and Wear Metro has two coloured lines - green line (Newcastle Airport to South Hylton in Sunderland) and yellow line (St James' to South Shields and also North Shields, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay). Below is a map of the Metro system, South Shields can be seen on the yellow line on the right of the map.

Pricing of tickets is charged by the zone. A map showing the zone boundaries can be seen here...

Metro single tickets are valid for 90 minutes from purchase. The price depends on the number of zones you will be travelling in. One zone costs £1.80; two zones costs £2.70 and three zones costs £3.40. So for example if you were travelling from Newcastle Airport to Newcastle Central station this would be three zones and cost £3.30. Similarly a journey from Newcastle Airport to South Shields would cost £3.30.

Return Tickets. If you plan on using the Metro twice or more in the same day then the initial purchase of a DaySaver ticket is the most economical way to travel. Unlimited travel (includes the Shields ferry and Newcastle upon Tyne to Sunderland rail service) costs £3.00 for one zone, £4.10 for two zones or £5.10 for three zones.

Child tickets. Children under the age of 5 travel for free in Tyne and Wear, for under 16's the all zone Metro fare is 80p. A Child DaySaver, allowing unlimited all day Tyne and Wear Metro travel for under 16's, is £1.30. Carrying proof of age is advisable as ages 16 and over need to purchase adult tickets.

The above ticket prices are correct January 2018.

The latest Tyne and Wear Metro fares and ticket guide, guide to ticket machines and more can be found on our blog...

The following video shows how to use the new Tyne and Wear Metro ticket machines...

Please note it is not possible to pay using Euros or with Scottish bank notes in Tyne and Wear Metro ticket machines.

If you will be visting Tyne and Wear for an extended period and will be using Tyne and Wear Metro regularly then we recommend purchasing a POP card which enables travel at slighly reduced rates - 10p-30p less each journey. POP cards cost £3.50 from popcard.org.uk (opens in a new window) - requires an initial £10 top up. POP cards are also available from Nexus travel shops or selected Payzone stores for the higher price of £5 - no initial top up required.

You can find out more about POP cards in the following leaflet...