NORTHERN Rail is introducing evening peak ticket restrictions on rail services in Greater Manchester.

From next Monday (September 8), ‘off-peak’ tickets will no longer be valid on any train services in the area – including Northern, TransPennine Express, East Coast, Virgin and Cross Country services – scheduled to depart between 4.01pm and 6.29pm on weekdays.

The change is part of the extension of Northern’s franchise to February 2016, an agreement which comes with reduced subsidy – as government policy is to decrease taxpayer funding of the railways.

As a result of the changes, combined ‘off-peak’ train-and-tram tickets will no longer be valid on Greater Manchester trains scheduled to depart between 4.01pm and 6.29pm on weekdays either – but they will still be valid on Metrolink services.

Anyone who wants to travel between these times on local trains using a combined train-and-tram pass needs to buy an ‘anytime’ ticket.

Transport for Greater Manchester's existing policy of providing Greater Manchester residents with concessionary travel on local rail services after 9.30am on weekdays will not be changing.

Councillor Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM Committee, said: “I would encourage all rail passengers to familiarise themselves with the changes to ensure they are not caught out once they come into effect on 8 September."