UK pushes for smart pay-as-you-go ticketing

The goal is to enable consumers to travel across the UK’s entire railway network by tapping in and out with contactless cards or smartphones instead of paper tickets.

Nationwide deployment would require the UK’s multiple transit companies to agree on business models, standards, and distribution. They would also need to decide whether to implement smart ticketing based on open-loop payment cards or on dedicated transit smart cards.

The Department for Transport says smart ticketing ensures a streamlined travel fare system. It is expected to help consumers save money by automatically calculating fares on the go, and it could lead to increased train travel. Consumers would pay for their actual journeys rather than fixed fares, as is the case now.

The Department for Transport wants to replicate across the UK the success of smart ticketing in London, where 50% of all pay-as-you-go Tube and rail commutes involve contactless payment or mobile devices.