Rail passengers will be able to use tap-in and tap-out ticketing in more stations under a push to expand contactless train travel by the end of the year.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to make fare and ticketing reform one of her key priorities for the new state-owned Great British Railways, including the expansion of pay-as-you-go.
Some 47 stations in the South East will get a new ticketing system for the first time from next month with another 49 locations rolled out over the year, including London Stansted Airport. The move aims to save passengers time and money by guaranteeing the best value ticket.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “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.”
The Department for Transport said it was working closely with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to develop their proposals.
It comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham recently urged the Government to give mayors greater powers to fix broken rail networks in their areas.
In a speech on Monday evening, Ms Alexander was expected to say that the poor performance of publicly run railways like Northern “reminds us that while public ownership will help better manage capacity, reduce costs and increase taxpayer value, it was never going to be a silver bullet.”
She was due to add: “We can change the name of the holding company or the livery on the side of the train, but none of that guarantees a changed experience for the person on the platform.
“I am clear that a new organisation must mean a new way of working, ending the blame game and maximising social and environmental good.”
From February 2
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