It will be more expensive to travel on Wellington’s public transport from May 15.
A 3.1% increase to Metlink’s base fare has been confirmed and the off-peak discount will drop from 30% to 20%
“This was a difficult but necessary call for the council to make. We have to balance fiscal responsibility and funding constraints with what people can reasonably afford,” said Greater Wellington Public Transport Committee chairperson Ros Connelly,. \
\
From 15 May, the cost of a three‑zone trip will increase by 14 cents, bringing the peak adult Snapper fare to $4.67 for those travelling to the CBD from Miramar or Karori. For Wairarapa passengers travelling by train from Masterton to Wellington, the fare will rise by 56 cents to $18.50 at peak times. \
\
Metlink senior manager of strategy and investments, Tim Shackleton, said in a statement that the network operator needed to address a projected revenue shortfall expected to be $3 million for the current financial year. \
\
“Our operating costs continue to grow, and patronage, particularly on rail, remains a challenge. This means the gap is growing between revenue we earn from fares and the cost to operate public transport services across the region,” Shackleton said.
In Friday’s statement Shackleton said Metlink was preparing to introduce new contactless payment options for adults paying full fare, ahead of the region’s transition to the national ticketing system Motu Move. \
\
Adults will be able to tap on and off Metlink buses and trains using a debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch, through the existing Snapper system from April 12.
Once these additional payment options are available, Metlink will start to phase out the use of cash on board buses and trains over the next 12 months.
Last year, Metlink increased its fares by 2.2% and dropped the off-peak discount from 50% to 30%. \
\
Published in [The Post on 28 February 2026](https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360958087/wellington-bus-and-train-use-drops-fares-rise-again) \
\
For further reading concerning the points raised in this opinion –
* [Future of passenger rail in New Zealand is regional rail](https://publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/the-future-of-passenger-rail-in-new-zealand-is-regional-rail-07-07-2025/)
* [Time for a national public transport network](https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/national-public-transport-network-07-06-2022)
