GM Inter-modal tickets

[neilmc]

Might be I'm missing something but cannot find a single weekly/monthly/season ticket to allow combined use of bus and Metrolink at peak times (or at any time except an off-peak day ticket).

So for a regular journey Northenden-Anchorage would I need a Metrolink season ticket (e.g. Withington to Anchorage) PLUS a weekly bus pass e.g. Stagecoach?

Hopping between the GMT, System One and Metrolink websites and can't find anything.

 

[radamfi]

Might be I'm missing something but cannot find a single weekly/monthly/season ticket to allow combined use of bus and Metrolink at peak times (or at any time except an off-peak day ticket).

So for a regular journey Northenden-Anchorage would I need a Metrolink season ticket (e.g. Withington to Anchorage) PLUS a weekly bus pass e.g. Stagecoach?

Hopping between the GMT, System One and Metrolink websites and can't find anything.

There is the Buscard Extra add on for rail or Metrolink season ticket holders.

 

[neilmc]

Thank you, yes I see it now. What a disgraceful mess this all is, the TFGM website and the Metrolink site should have this as an option rather than having to somehow discern that you have to click on System One and then have to go back into the Metrolink site to find your season ticket. So much for integrated public transport!

 

[po8crg]

Hopefully, the GMT card will enable some better integrated ticketing one that's in widespread use in 2016.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thank you, yes I see it now. What a disgraceful mess this all is, the TFGM website and the Metrolink site should have this as an option rather than having to somehow discern that you have to click on System One and then have to go back into the Metrolink site to find your season ticket. So much for integrated public transport!

The non-addition of Metrolink (and increased fare, I guess) into CountyCard (County Bus and Train Saver now) has been an ongoing disgrace since 1990, IMO.

Neil

 

[neilmc]

Thanks for everyone who've replied. I was asking on behalf of my wife who makes this journey daily for work. She tried public transport for a couple of weeks, found the East Didsbury-Cornbrook Metrolink section horrendously crammed and unreliable as well as expensive so ditched the whole idea and takes the car instead (free car parking supplied nearby). Which means no car available for me, but a Stagecoach Megarider takes care of my journeys at much lower cost.

I rather think we'd have come to a different conclusion in any continental European city.

 

[radamfi]

The East Didsbury line is scheduled to get a doubling in frequency after the city centre works have been completed, so it might not be so crowded then.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The East Didsbury line is scheduled to get a doubling in frequency after the city centre works have been completed, so it might not be so crowded then.

Stupid question: in the meantime why not use the trams that will operate that to run double trams at all times? Or do they and they are still full?

Neil

 

[radamfi]

Stupid question: in the meantime why not use the trams that will operate that to run double trams at all times? Or do they and they are still full?

They try to match the double trams to the busiest journeys. The indicators have started to say "dbl" for double trams. Even if all their trams have been delivered, the fact that the East Didsbury line goes to Rochdale means they can't double all of them as the Rochdale line is too long to allow that. The 6 minute service will only go as far as Shaw.

 

[po8crg]

Stupid question: in the meantime why not use the trams that will operate that to run double trams at all times? Or do they and they are still full?

Neil

Not a stupid question at all. They haven't all been delivered from the manufacturer yet. Metrolink has 96 or 97 trams from a total order of 120 and some of the most recent deliveries are still being tested before being brought into service.