CHEAPER train fares between North and West Yorkshire are on their way, with an extension of the Metrocard discount travel system.

Leeds City Region – a partnership of 11 local authorities including York, Selby, Harrogate and North Yorkshire – will meet this week to discuss progress on plans to extend the West Yorkshire subsidised travel scheme to parts of North Yorkshire.

The partnership plans to extend Metrocard – which allows passengers to buy discounted weekly or monthly travel passes – to Harrogate and Skipton in May as a pilot, before hopefully rolling the scheme out to York and Selby.

In a report to the city region’s leaders’ board last month, officers said: “It is the intention to introduce a product in May 2009 for the Harrogate and Skipton rail lines and to extend coverage to York and Selby in due course.”

The plans will be on the agenda on Thursday at a meeting of the city region transport panel.

It is understood discussions are still under way with rail operators to finalise details and prices for the new Metrocard zones.

There are currently five differentially-priced zones across West Yorkshire. A zone one Metrocard allows unlimited travel within the centre of Leeds and surrounding suburbs, while a zone five card allows unlimited travel across the whole county.

The North Yorkshire extension would initially see two further zones added.

Although the Metrocard is valid for train and bus travel, the Harrogate and Skipton pilot will only apply to rail services.

Coun Steve Galloway, City of York Council’s executive member for city strategy, welcomed the progress.

“I am pleased to see that a trial of a system which will see the Metrocard made available for some rail services outside West Yorkshire will start in late spring,” he said.

“If the trial is successful, then I know that many in York would want to see its availability extended to those living in the city.”

He also welcomed the trial in South Yorkshire of a cashless payments card, where users load up prepay cards that are swiped when getting on or off public transport.

“In the longer term, I also look forward to the introduction of a cashless payments card similar to the Oyster card now available in London,” he said.

“Trials of the Yorkshire version – called Yorcard – are currently taking place in South Yorkshire. Its extension to York will allow travellers to pay electronically for journeys on buses and trains without having to worry about having the right change available.”