Altrincham to Metrolink City - Annual Season Ticket Prices

[Mcr Warrior]

Hi there,

Has anyone got up-to-date annual season ticket prices for the following routes which include tram travel...

Altrincham to Metrolink City
Altrincham to Metrolink Zone A (may be the same price as the above)

also..

Heaton Chapel to Metrolink Zone F
Humphrey Park to Metrolink Zone F (similarly may be the same price as the above)

Many thanks.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I can have a look tomorrow, but I doubt Altrincham to Metrolink City (do you mean travel in by tram or do you mean CTLZ?) is the same as Altrincham to Metrolink Zone A (as Zone A is Bury and a couple of other stops)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thanks. N.B. It is the Altrincham - Metrolink City fare (travel in mostly via tram) that I am after. This fare may possibly well be the same as continuing on to Zone A (Bury) as I think that Metrolink-based fares tend to "max out" once you have passed through four of their fare zones.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

When you say mostly, I presume you would ideally want a ticket with an option for travel on train or tram to Manchester?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Presumably an Altrincham - Metrolink City season ticket would also be valid on the train between Navigation Road and Altrincham as well as on the tram between Altrincham and the City zone (or am I missing something?)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Not sure on that (I'll see what I can find out) although I'm not sure why you'd want to do that. I was thinking more on the potential of you wanting to go to Manchester on the train.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
According to Fastis:

Altrincham to Metrolink City
Rte Any Permitted - £928
Rte Metrolink Direct - £980

Altrincham to Metrolink Zone A (may be the same price as the above)
Rte Metrolink Direct - £1080

Heaton Chapel to Metrolink Zone F
Rte Any Permitted - £896

Humphrey Park to Metrolink Zone F
Rte Any Permitted - £896

It should be noted that Fastis is not listing fares valid on Metrolink via Sale from Altrincham and does not list any season tickets from Altrincham Metrolink. Metrolink Customer services could offer a solution for Metrolink only fares or may confirm if these tickets are valid or not, they can be called on 0161 205 2000.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thanks. That's useful information. Incidentally, what route(s) does the £928 Altrincham - Metrolink City (Any Permitted) annual ticket allow?

Is this via Sale or Stockport, or both?

Or is £928 actually the price of an annual Altrincham - Manchester CTLZ ticket?

And does this mean that the higher priced £980 'Metrolink Direct' ticket is the route Sale or Stockport interavailable ticket?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Ah, yes sorry, the £928 ticket is to Manchester CTLZ not Metrolink City, although at this point I can't say for definite what the difference is (according to the FRPP the Altrincham-Metrolink City fare shouldn't exist). For Mobberley, Hale, Knutsford and Ashley, Metrolink City denotes travel via Sale only, so I would guess that CLTZ is train to Manchester while City is tram to Manchester.

 

[northwichcat]

Although the ticket office at Altrincham is Northern Rail managed, signs indicate that Metrolink season tickets can be purchased there. I would assume these are printed on standard national rail stock if they are issued there which may be why Altrincham to Metrolink City exists in the system.

£928 for via Stockport and £980 for via Sale would make sense as Northern Rail fares for Altrincham-Manchester are cheaper than Metrolink fares.

 

[aps8820]

Edit.

 

[aps8820]

First post again on the same tram/train ticket question.

Does a Brooklands (Zone F) to Handforth season ticket exist and if so how much would it cost? I'd be looking at buying a monthly one.

Cheers Andy

 

[northwichcat]

Does a Brooklands (Zone F) to Handforth season ticket exist and if so how much would it cost? I'd be looking at buying a monthly one.

As Handforth is in Cheshire you can't buy a Zone F ticket but can buy one to/from Brooklands Metrolink. Check redspottedhanky.com for a season ticket price, if Brooklands isn't listed use Sale instead as it'll likely be the same price.

 

[aps8820]

Cheers. I looked on there but couldn't find anything on season ticket prices. Tried loads of different ones and finally found that the transpennine website brings them up.

Handforth to Sale £199.
Handforth to Alti (rail) £150.
Handforth to Alti (Metrolink) £215.


This is where I don't get it, 1st there's a £65 difference between train only or Metrolink for one month from Altrincham, whereas above its maybe £50 for the whole year from other stations. Is this because it's a touch outside the GM zone? 2nd how they justify charging £7 more than if the season tickets were brought separately makes zero sense. Surely an all in one ticket should be the same or less.

Standard Metrolink season ticket from Brooklands to Piccadilly £72.
Piccadilly to Handforth is £120.
Total £192. *scratches head*

 

[northwichcat]

Cheers. I looked on there but couldn't find anything on season ticket prices.

I thought there was but can't see it either. Southern (who use the same booking engine) do have season tickets.

Handforth to Sale Mtlk has the following available:

Weekly: £49.30
Monthly: £189.40
Annual: £1972

As I suspected Brooklands, itself, is not listed but I'd be very surprised if the prices were any different to the above.

I just realised you actually asked for Brooklands to Handforth. For some obscure reason you can't buy tickets from Metrolink stops to national rail stations outside of GM even though you can do the reverse. However, with the season ticket I don't think there is any issue with using it the wrong way around, although doing that with returns isn't allowed.

Is this because it's a touch outside the GM zone?

In a word - yes. Fares within Greater Manchester receive an extra subsidy, fares between Greater Manchester stations/stops and stations in Cheshire do not get that extra subsidy so the passenger pays more.

 

[aps8820]

Ye, I've found trying to find the prices is a nightmare because most of the season ticket calculators and baskets refuse to recognise Metrolink stations.

1. I emailed national rail, not a clue. Standard email saying contact Metrolink which wasn't what I asked.

2. redspottedhanky.com doesn't seem to have season tickets on it and sees Sale but not Brooklands.

3. tpexpress.co.uk allows you to search for the season tickets if you search for a return ticket but only with certain stations. It found Handforth-Sale and gave £199.

4. I emailed First TransPennine asking them for the prices from Handforth to Brooklands and Handforth to Sale.

5. I got an email back this morning and the price changed. £189.40 for both tickets on Any Route Permitted and said they can be ordered online. Still comes up as £199 on their website to Sale and it can't see Brooklands. I also asked ftpexpress about Manchester Airport to Brooklands as thats nearby but she said thats only available from a mainline station and not online.

6. The Southern Website works a charm, brings up Brooklands and the correct price, so a big thanks for that. I'd love to know the reason why each site and system seems to be a little different and why the within GM fares aren't online. Surely they'd sell many more and get more interest if they were.

I think on the ticket its listed as "Between Handforth and Brooklands" rather than "Outwards from Handforth to Brooklands".

Reading the terms and conditions. Its states unlimited use between the stations/zones and it also states it can be used at intermediate stations. I guess that means I could travel from say Handforth to Cheadle Hulme or Brooklands to Heaton Chapel for example?

Also as mcrworker as asked would it only be valid via the Metrolink line to Piccadilly or would the getting the tram to Altrincham/Navigation Road and then going via Stockport be valid?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....I think on the ticket its listed as "Between Handforth and Brooklands" rather than "Outwards from Handforth to Brooklands"....

Yes, a season will be "Between Handforth and Brooklands Mtlk" and be valid in either direction at any time within the period of validity.

....Reading the terms and conditions. Its states unlimited use between the stations/zones and it also states it can be used at intermediate stations. I guess that means I could travel from say Handforth to Cheadle Hulme or Brooklands to Heaton Chapel for example?....

Just like any other season it would be valid to stop/start short at any intermediate station along a valid route.

....Also as mcrworker has asked would it only be valid via the Metrolink line to Piccadilly or would the getting the tram to Altrincham/Navigation Road and then going via Stockport be valid?

It would only be valid on the tram to Piccadilly.

 

[northwichcat]

6. The Southern Website works a charm, brings up Brooklands and the correct price, so a big thanks for that. I'd love to know the reason why each site and system seems to be a little different and why the within GM fares aren't online.

There's 3 types of booking engines used to sell train tickets online. The trainline's system which operators like Virgin and TPE use and the Rail Easy booking engine which Northern use have more Metrolink omissions from the ATOS Origin system which operators like London Midland, East Coast and Southern use.

However, the ATOS Origin system has different omissions depending on which website you use - which makes no sense. LM's site won't sell you an Evening Return between Bolton and Manchester but Red Spotted Hanky's site will, despite in theory being the same booking engine behind both sites.

Reading the terms and conditions. Its states unlimited use between the stations/zones and it also states it can be used at intermediate stations. I guess that means I could travel from say Handforth to Cheadle Hulme or Brooklands to Heaton Chapel for example?

Also as mcrworker as asked would it only be valid via the Metrolink line to Piccadilly or would the getting the tram to Altrincham/Navigation Road and then going via Stockport be valid?

No. If you wanted to go that way you'd need to buy two tickets:
Brooklands to Navigation Road
Navigation Road to Handforth.

The later is £150.20 for a monthly season.