East Midlands Railway is celebrating more than 20,000 journeys through the operator’s Digital Pay As You Go trial, marking a significant milestone for the scheme.

The initiative is available on routes between Leicester, Derby, and Nottingham and uses GPS technology within the East Midlands Railway app to automatically record journeys and calculate the correct fare. Designed to streamline the ticketing process, the system removes the need for passengers to select and buy tickets before travelling.

East Midlands Railway says strong customer uptake has provided valuable data on travel patterns and user experience, helping assess the potential of digital ticketing. The trial is part of a broader rail industry programme, backed by the Department for Transport, to investigate more flexible and customer-friendly ticketing solutions. 

“Reaching 20,000 journeys is a fantastic milestone and shows that customers are willing to embrace new ways of travelling by rail. Digital Pay As You Go is designed to make train travel simpler. Customers can travel without worrying about buying the right ticket in advance, safe in the knowledge they’ll automatically be charged the right fare for their journey.

“Every journey made as part of the trial helps us better understand how this technology can improve the customer experience. We would encourage anyone who regularly travels between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham to sign up and take part.”

Simon Pready, Commercial Director at East Midlands Railway.