Train passengers in Greater Manchester are facing higher ticket prices from Monday as some off-peak fares are axed.

Northern Rail announced that from September 8, off-peak tickets can no longer be used during weekday evenings on certain services.

The off-peak tickets will no longer be valid on any local train services – including Northern, TransPennine Express, East Coast, Virgin and Cross Country – scheduled to depart between 4.01pm and 6.29pm on weekdays.

The affected journeys are those wholly within the Travel South Yorkshire, Transport for Greater Manchester and Metro West Yorkshire areas and some longer routes starting from these areas.

Northern Rail posted a statement on its website which read: “These changes are part of the new franchise agreement that was announced in March.

"They are being made after the Department for Transport asked Northern to look at several options to help reduce subsidy as part of its new franchise agreement.

"The change to off-peak tickets is the only option that has been taken forward and will be used to reduce the cost of the railway to taxpayers by reducing subsidy to Northern.

"The majority of customers who travel in the evening peak already buy season tickets or anytime fares and won’t be affected by this change.

" They could also find their trains are less crowded.

"Northern Rail is on hand to advise customers about the changes.

"We have distributed 50,000 leaflets, put up posters and banners at stations, sent out updates via social media, detailed FAQs online and placed reminder stickers on our ticket machines."

Full details are also available on our website at northernrail.org/off-peak.