Manchester Metrolink to adopt London-style contactless payments

Image caption, Payment caps will come into effect from Monday 15 July

Greater Manchester's tram network is to adopt a London-style contactless payments system, the region's mayor has announced.

Andy Burnham said the plan would be rolled out from 15 July.

It means people will be able to quickly tap in and out of stations rather than using ticket machines.

Mr Burnham said the change would "improve access to jobs, leisure, skills and education opportunities across Greater Manchester".

Similar to London's system, the scheme will feature a payments cap, which will be automatically calculated based on which of the four Metrolink zones people travel to.

Image source, TfL Visual Image Services

Image caption, Contactless payments have operated on London's transport network since 2012

The cap would never exceed 拢7, the cost of an anytime one-day travel card across all four of the network's zones.

This initial step is part of Mr Burnham's Our Network plan, a ten-year project to improve transport in the region.

The system is expected to be later adopted on buses and trains, aping London's Oyster card system.

Mr Burnham has also promised a plan to extend the tram system to Stockport by the end of the decade.