The Government has begun the procurement process for suppliers to oversee the operation of technology used in a new contactless ticketing system set to debut in the North and Midlands.
Once awarded, the chosen company will work alongside both Northern and East Midlands Railways to deliver trials of the new system later this year.
The new system is set to utilise GPS based technology to track passengers’ location, allowing for optimised fares on each journey.
Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy said:, said:We’ve seen the success that contactless ticketing has on making journeys easier to navigate and attracting more people to our railways.
It’s only right that we now look to expand contactless ticketing to other major cities across the North, ensuring they can reap the economic benefits that simpler ticketing offers and that passengers are having a better experience.
News of the trials come hot on the heels of the Department for Transport’s announcement of a further 47 contactless payment stations across the South East last month, building on the technology’s initial launch at six Chiltern stations in Summer 2024.
