09.10.17
DfT looks at full smart ticketing roll-out by 2018 with £80m boost
The government has set out details of an £80m programme to introduce smart ticketing across England and Wales by the end of 2018.
The investment will go towards ensuring that all passengers have the choice of travelling without a paper ticket by the end of 2018, with smart cards hosted on their mobile phones.
Mobile barcode ticketing will be rolled out on every rail franchise in the country. A pilot of this technology is expected in the next four months.
Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, said: “Passengers across the country want smart ticketing and this government will deliver it.
“This significant investment will ensure that passengers across the network can use mobile phones, bar codes and smart cards across almost all of the network by the end of next year.”
The DfT is working alongside the Rail Delivery Group to plan the next generation of ticketing systems, giving passengers more tailored options to pay for their travel and saving them money.
It is hoped that the investment will quickly deliver benefits to passengers across the country, with deals on the mobile phone smart cards expected with three train operators soon, and discussions are in progress with other train companies.
Key-Go, a contactless pay-as-you-go travel card, is also being rolled out across the rail network, allowing passengers to tap in and out across most of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern networks, from Cambridge to Brighton, and automatically being charged the most appropriate fare for their journey. It is expected that more train operators will follow suit.