47 more stations in south-east England to benefit from contactless ticketing

Picture of Roger Smith

Share:

47 more stations in south-east England to benefit from contactless ticketing

Share:

Picture of Roger Smith

Share:

Contactless pay-as-you-go technology. // Credit: Rail Delivery Group
Contactless pay-as-you-go technology. // Credit: Rail Delivery Group

On Sunday, 2nd February, contactless will be available from an additional 47 stations across south-east England.

By introducing the tap in and tap out ticketing facility, passengers will be guaranteed to be charged for the best value ticket available on the day, ending the current complex web of fares and ticketing.

The contactless facility is being made possible through £20m government funding to modernise the network as part of its Plan for Change.

During 2025, contactless ticketing will be introduced at 49 more stations.

These include Stansted Airport, which will mean that for the first time all London airports will have seamless connections from train to plane.

Among the other stations where it will be introduced are Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, and Stevenage.

Metrolink contactless
Metrolink contactless gates. // Credit: Transport for

The upgrades are part of the government’s mission to modernise our transport system, deliver better value fares, and improve passenger experiences to encourage more passengers to travel by train.

Getting rid of the current complex ticketing system is just one way in which Britain’s transport system is being modernised.


introduced contactless technology at six stations last summer, including High Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Denham Golf Club, and in the first six months over 268,000 entries and exits were made using contactless cards or mobile devices.

Later this year, contactless ticketing is due to be introduced to stations in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

Contactless pay-as-you-go technology. // Credit: Rail Delivery Group
Contactless pay-as-you-go technology. // Credit: Rail Delivery Group

Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at commented that pay-as-you-go with contactless has grown in popularity in the ten years since it was launched in London.

It will also help those travelling by rail outside London by avoiding the need to pre-purchase tickets or paper Travelcards when heading into the capital.

“The ticketing system is far too complicated, so we’re taking the stress out of navigating the labyrinth of fares and replacing it with new technology so passengers can simply tap-in tap-out, while being guaranteed the best fare available at the time on the day. This hassle-free technology will simplify thousands of journeys every day for passengers across the South East, and it’s something we will roll out to other cities as soon as we can, unlocking growth across the country as part of our Plan for Change. We are delivering the biggest overhaul of our rail network in a generation, putting passengers at the heart of every journey and encouraging more people to choose rail.”

Lord Peter Hendy, Rail Minister

Responses

Related Articles

Upcoming Events