Greater Manchester Older Person's Travel Pass Guide

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

In Greater Manchester the older person's travel pass is issued by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) once you reach State Pension age. It gives free bus travel at any time of day within Greater Manchester, and for £10 a year you can add unlimited off-peak travel on Metrolink trams and local trains.

Who qualifies

According to TfGM's page on the older person's travel pass, you must:

• live in Greater Manchester, which means the ten council areas of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan; and
• have reached State Pension age. TfGM stresses that it does not matter whether you are taking your pension or still working.

State Pension age is not the same for everyone. It is rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028, so your exact date depends on your date of birth. Use our State Pension age checker or the one on GOV.UK.

TfGM's page does not list any older person's pass available before State Pension age. If you are between 60 and pension age, the main concession open to you is the Senior Railcard for trains.

What the pass gives you

The pass itself is free and lasts five years, at the time of writing (November 2026).

What is extra compared with the national bus pass

Two things stand out. First, the standard English pass does not start until 9.30am on weekdays, whereas TfGM's page says its pass holders travel free on buses within Greater Manchester "at any time". TfGM announced that the 9.30am restriction on concessionary bus passes would be removed permanently from March 2026. That helps with early hospital appointments, volunteering and work. Remember that the 9.30am rule still applies as soon as you use the pass on buses outside Greater Manchester.

Second, trams and trains. The national scheme is for buses only, so being able to add both for a small yearly fee is a real extra.

The £10 tram and train add-on

TfGM's page on how to add tram and train to your pass explains that:

• it costs £10 and gives a year's unlimited off-peak travel on Metrolink and on trains within Greater Manchester, starting from the date you pay;
• it is only for passes issued by TfGM. You cannot add it to a pass issued by another council;
• you do not need it if you only use buses;
• the charge does not apply to concessionary passes for disabled people;
• the £10 is not refundable.

TfGM's page does not spell out the off-peak hours, so check with TfGM or the Bee Network journey planner before making an early journey by tram or train.

How to buy it

• Online, after linking your pass to a Bee Card account. You then need to tap the pass on a Metrolink smart reader or a Bee Network bus within 14 days to load it.
• On a Bee Network bus, by asking the driver.
• At a PayPoint shop or a TfGM Information and Ticket Office, taking your pass and £10.

How to apply for the pass

1. Download the application form from TfGM's website or pick one up at a TfGM Information and Ticket Office.
2. Attach a passport-sized colour photograph, a copy of your proof of age (birth certificate, medical card, passport or driving licence) and a copy of your proof of address (a utility bill, council tax bill or Department for Work and Pensions letter from the last 12 months).
3. Hand it in at an Information and Ticket Office or post it to the address on the form. Send copies, not original documents.

TfGM says the pass is posted within 10 working days. For help, its passes line is 0161 244 1000.

Using and looking after your pass

• On buses, touch the pass on the reader as you board. On Metrolink, touch in and out at the yellow readers on the platform. At railway stations, use the ticket barriers where there are any.
• Take the pass out of your wallet first, so the reader does not pick up a bank card by mistake.
• Use it at least now and then. TfGM renews passes automatically about two weeks before they expire, but only if the pass has been used in the previous 12 months.
• A replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged pass costs £10. Tell TfGM if you move house.

Making the most of it

For ideas on where to go, see bus pass days out, and for the national rules see free bus pass. If you cannot manage ordinary buses, see community transport.

Common questions

Can I use my pass on the bus before 9.30am in Greater Manchester?

TfGM's page says pass holders travel free on buses within Greater Manchester at any time. Outside Greater Manchester the national 9.30am weekday start still applies.

Are trams free with the pass?

Not automatically. You need to pay the £10 yearly add-on, which then covers off-peak travel on trams and on trains within Greater Manchester.

I have a bus pass from a neighbouring council. Can I buy the add-on?

No. TfGM says tram and train travel cannot be added to passes issued by other areas. Your pass still works on buses in Greater Manchester under the national off-peak rules.

Can I get a pass at 60 in Greater Manchester?

TfGM's older person's pass starts at State Pension age, not 60. See what you get at 60 for the things that do begin on your 60th birthday.