From this week onwards, passengers on one of the region’s busiest routes will be able to take advantage of simpler and more flexible payment options.
Starting today, Monday 3rd November, anyone making the journey between Sheffield and nearby Doncaster will be able to use a new digital ticketing system. This adds to areas and routes which have already been included in an ongoing trial.
So far, more than 2,000 individual journeys operated by Northern and East Midlands Railway have been made using the new technology. This includes the option to allow apps to track movements via GPS, which then calculates where people have been and how much they owe at the end of each day.
When ticket barriers need to be passed, a unique barcode is generated, which then appears as a pop up within the mobile software. Anyone taking part in the trial is being offered £15 of free travel, which automatically credits to their account.
This removes the need for paper and even mobile tickets, and is one of the most significant steps yet in Labour’s flagship ‘once in a generation’ UK rail upgrade, which centres on the creation of Great British Railways. The aim is to offer better value for money and more efficient services.
The test will soon be rolled out further, with Sheffield to Barnsley trains set to become eligible by 1st December 2025. Feedback so far has been positive, with users describing the system as ‘easy to install…and simple to use’, and ‘much better than the chore of buying tickets in advance’.
‘It’s encouraging to see new technology being trialled to make rail travel easier for us all here in South Yorkshire. We know ticketing can be a barrier, especially for people who don’t travel often, so anything that helps make the system more straightforward to use is a step in the right direction,’ said Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire. ‘I’ll be keeping a close eye on how this trial works for passengers. If it helps break down barriers and makes rail more accessible for everyone, then it’s something we’ll want to build on.’
Image: Sam / Unsplash
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