Latest Rail News

17.06.13

Smart ticketing launched for Manchester

TfGM has introduced a new smart ticketing system for Manchester, to be known as the ‘get me there’ scheme. It will cover Metrolink trams, buses and rail services with roll-out beginning next year.

The name has already proved controversial in the local press, but chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, Cllr Andrew Fender, called it “one of the most exciting developments in public transport in Greater Manchester in many years”.

He said: “It will revolutionise the way that people pay for their transport needs, and will help to remove many of the barriers that get in the way of people making best use of our buses, trains and trams.

“With more than 30 independent, commercial bus operators, a tram network and several inter-regional rail operators running public transport services across and into the region, our smart ticketing scheme will be one of the most advanced of its type in the world.

“But we want it to be as simple as possible for people at the point of use – hence a name that says ‘what it does on the tin’.

“London may have its Oyster and Liverpool its Walrus, but we like to embrace the challenge of doing things differently here, which is why we have chosen a different kind of name with get me there.”

There will be a dedicated card available, but passengers can also use existing TfGM concessionary photo cards, contactless bank cards, and in the future smart phones.

Cllr Fender added: “The technology behind get me there is being built to be as flexible as possible to accommodate any future devices – even the ones we don’t know about yet.”

Richard Soper, First Group’s strategic development director for the North of England and chair of GMTL, said: “We have all learned a great deal from System One, the range of paper tickets we currently promote that allow passengers to switch between different modes of travel and different operators. We have therefore been working very closely with TfGM on the details of the new scheme and also on the scheme name.

“We wanted something that helps customers understand what the scheme does and how they will be able to use it and get me there does just that. It will give everyone greater choice and greater flexibility in their travel options, as well as making it easier to purchase and use multimodal tickets.”

Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

related

Rail industry Focus

View all News

Comment

The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >

'the sleepers' blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s... more >
read more blog posts from 'the sleeper' >

Interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he would not rule out his organisation issuing future r... more >
Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

08/05/2019Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

In answering the pressing questions of how current and future generations of managers can provide solutions to high-profile infrastructure projects across the UK, Pearson Business School, part of... more >