Low fare zone tickets have been removed, new prices shown below are valid across the West Midlands.

Low fare zone tickets have being removed, new prices shown below are valid across the West Midlands.

Anyone aged from 5-18* can travel using a child ticket. 16-18 year olds will need to have a valid 16-18 photocard.

Tickets for any National Express bus service that travels to, from or between locations outside the nBus zone. 

Available to buy from the driver on the bus, using contactless, Tap & Cap, cash or SwiftGo (Tap & Cap not available for child or group tickets).

These tickets are only valid on National Express bus services.

nBus low fare zone tickets have been removed.

Anyone aged from 5-18* can travel using a child ticket. 16-18 year olds will need to have a valid 16-18 photocard.

Why have you increased your fares?
We are on our customers’ side. Our goal is to deliver a reliable bus service that provides great value. We have worked hard for years to keep fares low, with most frozen since 2017. The reality is that the price rises are needed to protect the bus network in the face of rising costs. Costs including fuel, electricity, parts and labour have increased by 25% in the past 3 years while the number of people using buses remains around 90% of what it was before the pandemic. 

A day ticket at £4.50 is still the best value of any city region in England - compared to £5 for a day ticket in Manchester and £5.20 in Nottingham.

And even better, customers can beat the rises by taking advantage of the Government’s £2 fare cap if they are just doing two journeys a day as two singles will be £4. A day ticket (best value for three or more journeys) is £4.50.

Is this National Express West Midlands being greedy?
No, we provide an extensive bus network across the region that we are very proud of and this is about protecting those services for our customers. Costs have increased across the board, while the number of people using buses is still lower than it was. If we hadn't increased fares the only other option would be to reduce the network and that would mean letting customers down. We want more people to use buses and to be part of the solution for improving air quality and tackling climate change by reducing the number of private cars on the road. We can only do that by making sure buses are there for people to use.

Are you still offering £2 single fares?
Yes, the Government’s £2 fare scheme has been extended until 31st October 2023 and we are proud to be participating to help keep our customers’ travel costs as low as possible. If you are doing just two journeys a day and you pay by contactless you don’t have to do anything, the system makes sure you never overpay.

Is this because of the bus strike earlier in the year?
The costs of running buses have gone up across the board - pay is part of that but also fuel, electricity, parts and the costs of running a garage.

Is this just happening in the West Midlands?
No. Bus operators and many other industries nationwide are also experiencing costs going up and having to look at how they can balance the books and maintain their networks. The West Midlands is great bussing territory because it has high population density and a proud heritage of bus usage which is why we haven’t had to increase fares until now. While the fares are increasing they will continue to be the cheapest of all city regions in England. 

How does the Government £2 fare cap work?
The Government’s £2 fare scheme has been extended until 31st October 2023 and we are proud to be participating to help keep our customers’ travel costs as low as possible. If you are doing just two journeys a day and you pay by contactless you don’t have to do anything, the system makes sure you never overpay.

How do Tap & Cap contactless tickets work/Why can’t I use Tap & Cap on other operators' buses?
The technology for Tap & Cap fares is only currently available on National Express buses, so customers can’t tap and have the fare capped on other operators’ buses. Remember, the same card or device must be tapped every time for Tap & Cap to work. If you tap on a National Express bus, your fare will automatically be capped at the best price.

Customers who wish to receive the ‘Tap & Cap’ experience across all bus operators should use SwiftGo. This automatically caps at the best price and can also be used on the tram.

Why have you removed the Low Fare Zone tickets?
The Low Fare Zone (LFZ) tickets have been removed as they did not cover the costs of running the services. Working with TfWM, we agreed that we needed to charge a fair, but still great value price to continue to run the routes and cover their costs.

Customers that currently buy an adult £3 LFZ day ticket can apply for a SwiftGo card and use buses in the LFZ for £4.

You can order a SwiftGo card from TfWM’s website.

Why have you removed the £1 child add-on and £2 adult add-on tickets?
These tickets have been removed as price rises are needed to protect the bus network in the face of rising costs. Costs including fuel, electricity, parts and labour have increased by 25% in the past 3 years while the number of people using buses remains around 90% percent of what it was before the pandemic. A child all day ticket costs £2.30 and and an adult all day ticket £4.50, but depending on how many of you are travelling together, the £8 group ticket might be best value.

Why have you removed the Evening Group ticket?
The evening group ticket has been removed as price rises are needed to protect the bus network in the face of rising costs. Costs including fuel, electricity, parts and labour have increased by 25% in the past 3 years while the number of people using buses remains around 90% of what it was before the pandemic. 

Why have you removed off-peak tickets?
Off-peak passes have been removed as usage was very low and the price was close to the normal peak tickets. Price rises are needed to protect the bus network in the face of rising costs. Costs including fuel, electricity, parts and labour have increased by 25% in the past 3 years while the number of people using buses remains around 90% of what it was before the pandemic.

Can I still pay £1 before 9.30am with my free concessionary pass?
The pre-9.30am ticket is still available for free concessionary pass holders and now costs £1.50.

I pay by Direct Debit, when will my price change?
If you pay by Direct Debit you will see the increase in your first payment on or after 3rd July depending on when your normal pay date is. We’ll send all Direct Debit customers an email confirming details prior to the 3rd July.

When will the term, student and child Direct Debit prices be changing?
Term prices will be increasing from August and Direct Debit prices will be increasing from September in time for the new academic year.