UK Rail Tickets Could Go Contactless as Early as this Year
Luke Cloherty, Editor
UK rail travel is set to undergo a major ticketing change in 2016 as rail operators will announce a plan to introduce a new contactless card, much like Transport for London’s Oyster card, that could eventually replace the paper tickets currently in use.
The Telegraph originally found out about the directive, which was then confirmed by Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group Managing Director of Customer Experience.
In a statement made on the RDG’s website, Starr goes on to point out this is not a new initiative, but part of an ongoing infrastructure update across the board, saying “The rail industry wants to respond to the needs of our customers and understands the importance of modernising train tickets so that passengers are no longer reliant on the old orange paper format. That’s why many operators already offer options like tickets on mobile phones and travel using smart or contactless cards”.
Oyster cards have been a huge success in London since their introduction and have been expanded to buses and mainline train services that serve London’s zones.
If the RDG can create a similar card, it would allow passengers to book their tickets online, download them to their smartphones and tap in and out of journeys as they already do on London’s major transport services.
January 5, 2016
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