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Tyne and Wear Metro records 2.5 million smart card journeys since April 2015

Posted: 9 July 2015 | Katie Sadler, Digital Content Producer, Intelligent Transport

Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Tyne and Wear Metro, has revealed over 2.5 million smart cards journeys have been made by passengers since April 2015. Nexus reveals more than one in four journeys is made using the North East England transport smart card, known as the Pop card. It estimates over 35,000 […]

Tyne and Wear Metro passenger figures hit five year high

Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Tyne and Wear Metro, has revealed over 2.5 million smart cards journeys have been made by passengers since April 2015.

Tyne and Wear Metro records 2.5 million smart cards journeys since April 2015

Nexus reveals more than one in four journeys is made using the North East England transport smart card, known as the Pop card. It estimates over 35,000 journeys are made each weekday by the 80,000 adults and students who hold their season tickets on smart cards.

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, reacted to the latest figures: “These figures are very encouraging and prove that the travelling public are beginning to appreciate the convenience of smart ticketing which Nexus is introducing on behalf of the North East Combined Authority.

“Earlier this year the Metro smart ticketing system was voted the best of its kind in Europe so it’s something we can be rightly proud of and urge more people to sign up to it so they can travel more quickly and easily around the region.”

The new figures come after the Department for Transport named Metro the fastest growing light rail system outside London, with passenger numbers up 6.3% to more than 38 million in the last 12 months.

Nexus’ Corporate Manager for Customer Services and Communications, Huw Lewis, added: “The smart revolution is gathering pace on Metro, with 35,000 adult passengers touching in and touching out on their journeys every day.

“Smart ticketing makes travel easier and more convenient and has helped Metro to grow passenger numbers by two million in the last year.”

 

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