The WeGo Star has one straightforward fare: $5.25 per one-way trip if you buy your ticket onboard. That is cash only. Tickets bought at station TVMs (ticket vending machines) or via the QuickTicket app can be a slightly different structure depending on the station origin, but onboard the price is flat at $5.25 regardless of where you board.
Fare Structure
Fares vary slightly by zone when purchased through the QuickTicket system at station machines. The closer suburban stops cost somewhat less than the full Lebanon-to-downtown fare. A trip from Donelson, the first stop east of downtown, runs a bit less than the full end-to-end fare. Reduced fares for seniors and Medicare cardholders are available but must be set up through QuickTicket, which requires enrolling at WeGo Central (the downtown transit center at 400 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.). Children aged 4 and under ride free.
Monthly passes and 10-ride passes are available for regular commuters and reduce the per-trip cost meaningfully. These can be purchased through the QuickTicket app or at station TVMs.
The QuickTicket system accepts Mastercard, Discover, and other standard cards. Onboard purchases are cash only.
The Subsidy Reality
The $5.25 fare is not what it costs to run the WeGo Star per rider. In 2021, during the post-pandemic ridership slump, WeGo spent approximately $4 million operating the line while collecting less than $142,000 in fare revenue, yielding an operating subsidy of over $100 per rider. Ridership has since recovered to 125,900 annual trips in 2024, which reduces that subsidy considerably, but the line still requires substantial public subsidy beyond the fare. This is not unusual for commuter rail anywhere in the United States, but it is a persistent point of debate in Nashville, where transit funding is always contested and the Star has a small ridership base relative to its peer systems.
For context, the WeGo Star peaked at nearly 299,000 annual trips in 2018 before the pandemic cut it to 57,500 in 2021. The 2024 figure of 125,900 is roughly half of pre-pandemic peak performance.
Is $5.25 Worth It?
For a regular eastside commuter driving from Mt. Juliet or Lebanon to downtown Nashville, the train at $5.25 each way makes real economic sense compared to parking costs downtown, which can easily run $20 to $30 per day for a garage. The trip is more relaxed than sitting on congested I-40 during rush hour, and the bilevel coaches are comfortable enough for the 45 to 55 minute ride.
For an occasional rider or tourist, the math is harder. The train runs exclusively on weekdays at rush hour. It does not serve the airport, does not connect to most tourist destinations, and does not run on weekends. If you happen to be staying somewhere along the Lebanon corridor and commuting downtown during working hours, it is a solid option. In almost any other scenario, an Uber will cost roughly the same or less and will take you closer to where you actually want to go.
WeGo Bus Fares for Comparison
The WeGo bus system costs $2 for any local route, with an all-day pass available for $4. Regional express buses run $4.25 per trip. These serve many more destinations across Nashville, including Route 18 to the airport. For most visitors, the bus fare structure is more relevant than the train fare because the bus goes places the train does not.
Sources
- WeGo Star Ride Guide (revised November 2024), wegotransit.com
- WeGo Star Wikipedia entry
- WeGo Public Transit Wikipedia entry (operating cost and ridership data)
- The Antiplanner, “Fixing the Failed Music City Star” (subsidy analysis)
- 6th Man Movers, Nashville public transportation guide
- Visit Nashville, Travel and Transportation page