All systems By city West Midlands Metro
Tram
West Midlands Metro
A single line linking Birmingham city centre with West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, largely along a former railway alignment. The city-centre section is free to ride, which catches out a lot of visitors in a good way.
Which ticket should you buy?
Photo: Andy Mabbett · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ticket options
City-centre travel
Free
Best for Getting around central Birmingham
Travel between Library and Edgbaston Village costs nothing. No ticket needed at all.
Single
£2.10
Best for One trip beyond the free zone
Flat fare for any single journey on the paid section.
Day ticket
£4.60
Best for Two or more return trips
Covers the whole line all day.
nBus + Metro Day
£6.20
Best for Combining trams and buses
Sold as an nNetwork day ticket across the West Midlands.
Weekly Metro pass
£18.50
Best for Regular commuting
Loaded onto a Swift card.
Fares checked May 2026. Confirm on the operator’s own fares page before you buy.
Where you tap
Tap in only. One tap at the start of the journey covers it — there is nothing to tap on the way out.
Is the day ticket worth it?
Comparing the Single at £2.10 with the Day ticket at £4.60. The day ticket becomes the cheaper choice from your third journey onwards.
| Journeys in a day | Singles cost | Against the day ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £2.10 | £2.50 cheaper |
| 2 | £4.20 | 40p cheaper |
| 3 | £6.30 | £1.70 more |
| 4 | £8.40 | £3.80 more |
How to pay
- Contactless on board and at stops, with a daily cap
- Swift card (the regional smartcard)
- The Swift and WM Metro apps
Concessions
- Under 5s travel free.
- Children under 16 pay a flat reduced single fare.
- 16–18 year olds can buy discounted Swift passes.
Worth knowing
- The free section runs from Library to Edgbaston Village — you can cross the whole of central Birmingham without paying.
- Grand Central stop is directly above Birmingham New Street, which makes the tram a useful onward link from mainline trains.
- Services are frequent but slow through the centre; walking is often quicker for two or three stops.
Photos
Common questions
- Is a day ticket worth it on the West Midlands Metro?
- It pays for itself on your third journey. The Day ticket costs £4.60 and the Single £2.10, so 3 singles come to £6.30.
- Do I need to tap out on the West Midlands Metro?
- Tap in only. One tap at the start of the journey covers it — there is nothing to tap on the way out.
- Can I pay with a contactless card on the West Midlands Metro?
- Yes. Contactless on board and at stops, with a daily cap.
- What do children pay on the West Midlands Metro?
- Under 5s travel free.