Great Northern and Thameslink passengers using Radlett, Potters Bar and Brookmans Park stations have been given better convenience and choice with the arrival of contactless pay as you go.
Pay as you go with Oyster has also been extended to Radlett and Potters Bar.
Passengers now have the option of using pay as you go with contactless cards or smartphones with payment apps, in addition to the Key smartcard, KeyGo and paper tickets.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), parent company of Great Northern and Thameslink, has worked with Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport to extend the system to the Hertfordshire stations.
It had already been extended to Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North and Epsom earlier this year, and there are further extensions to come.
At Potters Bar and Radlett around half of the ticket machines have been converted to allow passengers to top up their Oyster card.
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps MP and Oliver Dowden, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whose Hertsmere constituency includes both Potters Bar and Radlett, visited Radlett today to mark the arrival of the new benefits. Welcomed by station staff, they walked through the gates as the first official contactless customers.
What did the officials say?
Mr Shapps said:
“I am delighted that passengers will now benefit from new contactless Pay As You Go journeys at Potters Bar, Radlett and Brookmans Park. This helps make travel cheaper, easier to purchase and means more flexible and convenient journeys for passengers on a modern transport service. Our smart ticketing roll-out is also set to benefit passengers at Luton Airport and Welwyn Garden City later this year.”
Mr Dowden said:
“I’m delighted that after years of campaigning, we finally have contactless pay as you go travel in Radlett and Potters Bar. I know this will make life easier for commuters and particularly people who travel irregular hours, which more and more people are doing with the increase of part-time working and working from home.”
David Gornall, GTR’s Commercial Director, said:
“We are delighted to give passengers at Radlett, Potters Bar and Brookmans Park more choice and convenience through the introduction of pay as you go.
“We have worked closely with Transport for London and the Department for Transport to realise this ambition and look forward to further expansion of pay as you go later this year.”
Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at Transport for London said:
“Pay as you go has helped revolutionise travel on Tube, rail and bus services across London, with around 60 per cent of all pay as you go journeys in London now made using the convenience of contactless, which means you never need to queue to top up or buy a ticket. We are delighted that more customers will be able to take advantage of pay as you go and we continue to work with the DfT and GTR on expanding it to more stations, making travel more convenient for all.”
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