Integrated network — bus and rail

West Yorkshire Metro

Not a metro. Despite the name, there is no metro, tram or light rail here. Metro is the brand for buses and local trains across West Yorkshire. Leeds remains the largest city in western Europe without a mass transit system, though a tram scheme is in development for the 2030s.

West Yorkshire Metro is a ticketing and coordinating authority rather than a railway. It runs the MCard smartcard, sets the day and season tickets that work across every bus operator and local rail service in the county, and brands the bus stations. For a visitor the practical question is not which line to take but which of its day tickets covers the operators you will actually use.

Which ticket should you buy?

Serves: Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield
Operator: West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Opened: 1974
Fares by: Zonal day and season tickets across bus and rail

West Yorkshire Metro — Integrated network — bus and rail — Photo: Mtaylor848 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ticket options

Bus single

£2.10

Best for A single hop

A capped flat fare across West Yorkshire operators.

DayRider

£5.60

Best for A day on one operator’s buses

Cheaper, but only valid on the operator you bought it from — a real trap in Leeds where several compete.

DayRover

£8.00

Best for Buses across all operators

Worth the extra over a DayRider unless you are certain of your operator.

Day (bus and rail)

£10.50

Best for Combining trains with buses

Covers local rail across the county, which is how most people move between Leeds and Bradford.

MCard weekly, bus and rail

£38.00

Best for Longer stays

Loaded onto an MCard at a bus station travel centre.

Fares checked May 2026. Confirm on the operator’s own fares page before you buy.

Is the day ticket worth it?

Comparing the Bus single at £2.10 with the DayRider at £5.60. The day ticket becomes the cheaper choice from your third journey onwards.

Worked out from the two prices above, so it always matches the fares on this page. Confirm with the operator before you travel.
Journeys in a day	Singles cost	Against the day ticket
1	£2.10	£3.50 cheaper
2	£4.20	£1.40 cheaper
3	£6.30	70p more
4	£8.40	£2.80 more

How to pay

Contactless on buses, with operator-specific daily caps
MCard, the West Yorkshire smartcard, for day and season tickets
The MCard Mobile app

Concessions

Under 5s travel free.
Children 5–18 pay a reduced fare with a Metro Photocard.
Students at Leeds and Bradford universities can buy discounted term MCards.

Worth knowing

Do not arrive in Leeds expecting a tram or metro — the local rail network and buses are the whole story.
Buy the DayRover rather than the DayRider unless you know which company runs your route; the cheaper ticket is operator-locked.
Leeds to Bradford, Halifax and Wakefield is quicker by train than bus, and the combined day ticket covers it.

Photos

Bradford Interchange JThomas · CC BY-SA 2.0

Huddersfield station Richard Harvey · CC BY 3.0

Common questions

How much is a single on the WY Metro?: The cheapest single listed is £2.10 (Bus single).
Is a day ticket worth it on the WY Metro?: It pays for itself on your third journey. The DayRider costs £5.60 and the Bus single £2.10, so 3 singles come to £6.30.
Can I pay with a contactless card on the WY Metro?: Yes. Contactless on buses, with operator-specific daily caps.
What do children pay on the WY Metro?: Under 5s travel free.