It will be more expensive to travel on Wellington\u2019s public transport from May 15.<\/p>\n
A 3.1% increase to Metlink\u2019s base fare has been confirmed and the off-peak discount will drop from 30% to 20%<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a difficult but necessary call\u00a0for the council to make. We have to balance fiscal responsibility and funding constraints with what people can reasonably afford,\u201d said Greater Wellington Public Transport Committee chairperson Ros Connelly,. \\
\n \\
\nFrom 15 May,\u00a0the cost of\u00a0a three\u2011zone trip will increase by 14 cents, bringing the\u00a0peak\u00a0adult Snapper fare to $4.67\u00a0for those travelling to the CBD from Miramar or Karori. For Wairarapa passengers travelling by train\u00a0from Masterton\u00a0to Wellington, the fare will rise by\u00a056 cents\u00a0to\u00a0$18.50\u00a0at\u00a0peak\u00a0times. \\
\n \\
\nMetlink senior manager of strategy and investments, Tim Shackleton,\u00a0said in a statement that the network operator needed to\u00a0address\u00a0a projected revenue\u00a0shortfall\u00a0expected to be\u00a0$3\u00a0million for the current financial year. \\
\n \\
\n\u201cOur\u00a0operating costs\u00a0continue\u00a0to\u00a0grow, and patronage, particularly on rail, remains a challenge.\u00a0This\u00a0means\u00a0the gap\u00a0is\u00a0growing\u00a0between revenue\u00a0we earn from\u00a0fares\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0cost\u00a0to operate\u00a0public transport\u00a0services\u00a0across\u00a0the region,\u201d Shackleton said.<\/p>\n
In Friday\u2019s statement Shackleton said Metlink was preparing to introduce new contactless payment options for adults paying full fare, ahead of the region\u2019s transition to the national ticketing system Motu Move. \\
\n \\
\nAdults 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\u00a0from April 12.<\/p>\n
Once\u00a0these\u00a0additional payment\u00a0options are\u00a0available, Metlink will\u00a0start to\u00a0phase out\u00a0the use of\u00a0cash on board buses and trains over the next 12 months.<\/p>\n
Last year, Metlink increased its fares by 2.2% and dropped the off-peak discount from 50% to 30%. \\
\n \\
\nPublished in [The Post on 28 February 2026](https:\/\/www.thepost.co.nz\/nz-news\/360958087\/wellington-bus-and-train-use-drops-fares-rise-again) \\
\n \\
\nFor further reading concerning the points raised in this opinion –<\/p>\n
* [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\/)
\n* [Time for a national public transport network](https:\/\/www.publictransportforum.nz\/articles\/article\/national-public-transport-network-07-06-2022)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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