UK: The latest phase of the Department for Transport-sponsored digital pay-as-you-go ticketing trial programme went live on Northern Trains’ Harrogate to Leeds route on September 29.
HOPSTA app
The second of the four English DPAYG trials co-ordinated by DfT and the Rail Delivery Group is using the HOPSTA white-label mobile app from Tracsis.
Passengers press a button on their phone screen when they start a journey. HOPSTA then logs departures and arrivals to identify the trains taken, and generates a unique barcode that can be scanned for validation and to pass through barriers. It detects when passengers leave the rail network. At the end of the day the system computes optimal fares for the journeys made.
Separately, HOPSTA is being piloted by ScotRail across more than 200 stations, following a successful trial in Strathclyde area and routes to Edinburgh.
All Tracsis PAYG systems are powered by its smartTIS backend, which is also used by Govia Thameslink Railway, GWR, Transport for Wales and Merseyrail.
‘By leveraging our smartTIS platform, HOPSTA offers passengers a seamless, fare-optimised travel experience without the need for pre-purchased tickets’, said Simon Critchley, Tracsis Managing Director, Rail Technology & Services. ‘This initiative aligns with our broader vision of integrating innovative solutions across the UK’s transport networks, enhancing both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.’
Removing barriers to rail travel
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said ‘introducing smart, location-based ticketing will remove barriers to rail travel and make it easier to get the best value fares without the need to plan ahead’. She said ‘innovative approaches like this will help us create a better-connected region and encourage more people to choose sustainable transport as a way to travel’.
Mayor of York & North Yorkshire David Skaith said ‘train tickets can be confusing, frustrating and a barrier for people wanting to use the train. This digital ticketing trial is a step in the right direction.’
£15 incentive
| Digital pay-as-you-go ticketing trial routes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Lead train operator | Technology supplier | Launch date |
| Leicester – Derby – Nottingham | East Midlands Railway | Trainline | September 1 |
| Harrogate – Leeds | Northern | Tracsis | September 29 |
| Sheffield – Doncaster | Northern | Fairtiq | October 27 |
| Sheffield – Barnsley | Northern | ECR Solutions (HopOn Group) | November 24 |
The launch of the nine-month Harrogate – Leeds trial follows the start of an East Midlands Railway-led trial between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham on September 1.
A further trial on Northern’s Sheffield – Doncaster route is to begin on October 27, with Sheffield – Barnsley following on November 24.
Up to 4 000 passengers in total can take part in the four trials, and more than 825 people have so far registered to take part. Registration via the trains operators’ websites is still open, and each participant will get £15 of free travel as an incentive. This credit will be automatically loaded to Northern participants’ accounts when they download the app, and EMR will contact existing and new participants with details on how to receive the incentive.
Insights from the trial will inform decisions on potential permanent deployment of DPAYG. Tracsis said if DPAYG is adopted more widely, it is expected to integrate with the Tap Converter central PAYG processing system it has developed with RDG to support PAYG ticketing across rail, tram and bus networks.
