Transport for Wales (TfW) has expanded its contactless pay as you go rail offering to North East Wales and the borders, marking a significant step in simplifying everyday rail travel across the region.
Passengers using TfW rail services can tap in and tap out with a contactless bank card or smart device at 15 stations, with the system automatically calculating the best‑value fare for each journey. The move removes the need to buy a ticket in advance and is designed to make short and frequent journeys quicker and more flexible.
The stations included in the first phase of the rollout are:
- Bidston
- Buckley
- Caergwrle
- Cefn y Bedd
- Gwersyllt
- Hawarden
- Hawarden Bridge
- Heswall
- Hope
- Neston
- Penyffordd
- Shotton (High Level)
- Upton
- Wrexham Central
- Wrexham General
TfW has confirmed that additional stations will be added later this year as part of a phased expansion of the scheme.
The launch represents the first phase of contactless tap in, tap out travel in North East Wales and the borders, building on the success of the system already in place across South East Wales. Since its introduction there, customers have made more than 4.5 million journeys using contactless pay as you go.
Alexia Course, Chief Commercial Officer at Transport for Wales, said:
“The launch of contactless pay as you go in North East Wales and borders is an important milestone in our work to make rail travel simpler, more flexible and better value for our customers".
“We know that ease and convenience play a vital role in how people choose to travel, particularly for everyday journeys. By expanding contactless tap in, tap out travel beyond South East Wales, we are helping more communities travel with confidence and supporting our wider ambition for a better connected and more accessible Wales.”
To ensure the correct fare is charged, TfW is reminding customers that they must tap in and tap out using the same card or smart device for every journey.
TfW also confirmed that, because the pay as you go schemes are designed to support localised and frequent travel, passengers will not be able to travel between the North East Wales and South East Wales schemes using contactless pay as you go.
Image credit: Transport for Wales
