Railway and public transport ticketing news
News about railway and public transport ticketing technology, suppliers and policy, from Railway Gazette International.
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Rail Business UKStansted Airport contactless pay-as-you-go rail fare payment delayed
UK: The previously-announced expansion of contactless pay-as-you-go payment to a further 20 Greater Anglia stations including the key destination of Stansted Airport has been delayed until ‘summer 2026’.
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Rail Business UKInterview: ‘We are waking Merseyrail up’
As its 25-year agreement to run electric suburban services around Liverpool nears its end, Merseyrail has become a model for how local control of rail operations can bring tangible benefits to the community, as its Managing Director Neil Grabham explains to Nick Kingsley.
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NewsBetter Breeze blows into Atlanta’s transport ticketing system ahead of World Cup
USA: Supplier INIT has begun work on Atlanta transport agency MARTA’s Better Breeze project to replace the existing Breeze fare collection system ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
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Rail Business UKIndependent train ticket retailers welcome commitment to a competitive market
UK: Independent train ticket retailers have welcomed confirmation in the government’s rail reform bill that there will remain a role for the private sector under the future Great British Railways, which will set fares, collect revenue and have its own retailing platforms.
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NewsIntegrated transport app covers multiple Mumbai public transport operators
INDIA: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has launched the Mumbai ONE App, integrating public transport services provided by 11 metro, bus, monorail and suburban rail operators to remove the need for multiple apps, bookings and paper tickets.
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Rail Business UKSnowdon Mountain Railway orders integrated ticketing and sales system
UK: Visitor attraction ticketing and point-of-sale technology company Vennersys is to supply the Snowdon Mountain Railway with its VenposCloud software.
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Rail Business UKTravel companies call for clear separation of Great British Railways’ ticket sales activities
UK: The Online Travel UK trade association has called for clear separation of operational and retail functions at the future Great British Railways, including legislative safeguards to ensure that third-party retailers have equal access to all ticketing products and services.
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Rail Business UKc2c reports rebound in commuter travel amid pay-as-you-go roll-out
UK: South Essex to London train operator c2c reports that it has seen a ‘robust resurgence’ in commuter travel, with passenger volumes now at more than 80% of pre-2020 levels.
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NewsCubic targets smaller transport agencies with open payments on Umo
INTERNATIONAL: Cubic Transportation Systems had added open payment capabilities to its Umo Mobility payment platform, offering passengers the ability to pay for travel by tapping a contactless bank card, mobile wallet or smartwatch.
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Rail Business UKDigital ticket trial goes live between Leeds and Harrogate
UK: The latest phase of the Department for Transport-sponsored digital pay-as-you-go ticketing trial programme has gone live on Northern Trains’ Harrogate to Leeds route.
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NewsTrainline to provide business travel options for Amex GBT clients
EUROPE: Trainline group’s B2B arm Trainline Partner Solutions has agreed a multi-year contract to provided American Express Global Business Travel clients with continental European rail travel booking services, building on an existing partnership in the UK.
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NewsMoovit aims to simplify public transport for visitors to Roma
ITALY: The Moovit app can now be used to both plan and pay for multi-modal journeys around Roma, in a development which public transport operator ATAC expects to be particularly useful for the millions of tourists who arrive in the eternal city every year.
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Rail Business UKTrain operator offers tickets with mystery departure times
UK: Great Western Railway has worked with Seatfrog to launch Secret Fares, offering savings of up to 50% on ticket prices in return for ‘mystery’ departure times.
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NewsSolent Breeze Mobility‑as‑a‑Service app trial to end
UK: A five‑year trial of the Breeze app, described as the UK’s first fully integrated, multi‑city Mobility‑as‑a‑Service transport app, is to end on October 31.
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Rail Business UKLNER plans to offer Ticket Protection money-back product
UK: Inter-city operator LNER is developing plans for a Ticket Protection product intended to give customers greater confidence when booking currently non-refundable rail journeys.
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Metro Report InternationalBART launches Tap & Ride contactless payment
USA: The San Francisco Bay Area’s BART has introduced tap-in tap-out payment with contactless bank cards and mobile services.
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Rail Business UKEast Midlands Railway begins digital pay-as-you-go ticketing trial
UK: The first of four Department for Transport sponsored trials of GPS-based digital pay-as-you-go ticketing using smart phones rather than dedicated smartcards or contactless bank cards is now underway.
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Metro Report InternationalMasabi to modernise Montréal fare collection system
CANADA: Greater Montréal transport authority ARTM has awarded UK-based Masabi a contract to develop and implement a modernised fare collection system under its Concerto programme to improve the user experience.
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NewsSmart ticketing to get more people choosing public transport, more often
SLOVAKIA: National operator ZSSK and Fairtiq are to pilot mobile pay-as-you-go ticketing with the aim of simplifying access to public transport and gaining deeper insights into travel patterns.
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Rail Business UKSwiss train ticketing app to be tested in Yorkshire
UK: Swiss company Fairtiq’s digital pay-as-you-go ticketing technology is to be tested on the Sheffield to Doncaster line as a pilot for potential wider deployment.
