Big changes to ticketing for Metro North trains begin on Sunday, after being approved by the MTA in September. They include a price increase of up to 4.5% for monthly and weekly tickets, and an up to 8% increase for all other tickets. While money from congestion pricing goes to the MTA's capital budget, which pays for improvements and construction, it says this money is needed for the operating budget, which keeps the system up and running, and also includes worker salaries. In December, MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said the raise is still less than the rate of inflation, and that overall, "monthlies are still lower in cost real terms than they were before COVID, go to the diner of your choice and figure out what else has gone down in price since before covid, not many things." The way tickets are purchased is also changing. In the current system, one-way and round trip tickets are good for 60 days after purchase, but starting Sunday, one-way tickets will expire at 4a.m. the day after they are bought. The MTA says this is to try to stop the people who avoid paying their fares by waiting until the conductor gets to them to activate their ticket. People who still try to wait may also now be charged an extra $2. Round trip tickets, meanwhile, will be replaced by an unlimited day pass, which also is good until 4 a.m. the next day. The mobile app will also keep track of how many trips a rider buys. After 10 one-way trips in a 14-day period, the 11th during that same stretch will automatically be free.