Contactless fares coming for West Midlands and Greater Manchester

‘Pay As You Go’ contactless fare pilot schemes are to be trialled across more than 90 rail stations across the West Midlands and selected routes in Greater Manchester from 2025.

The Department for Transport (DfT) says that selected routes are to be fitted with technology allowing travellers to ‘tap-in’ and ‘tap-out’ of their local network while paying the best fare, 'meaning no need to plan ahead or search for the right ticket.'

The West Midlands pilot is planned to cover 75 stations across the Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) area (including five currently under construction), and use existing ‘Swift’ smartcards, so passengers can travel across local bus and tram services, too.

Greater Manchester’s pilot scheme is planned to include 17 stations on the Glossop-Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge-Victoria lines. It will use contactless bank cards and devices, with a view to deliver full multi-modal fares and ticketing integration across bus, Metrolink, rail and cycle hire as part of the ‘Bee Network’ by 2030.

In preparing the pilots, the DfT says it has worked closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), Rail Delivery Group (RDG), TfWM, the West Midlands Rail Executive, Transport for Greater Manchester and train operators.

The DfT describes it as the latest step in the Government’s reform of the railways, which it says will 'make fares and ticketing simpler for passengers', adding that '£100m reallocated funding from HS2 will be used for a future roll-out of similar technology to more stations across the North and Midlands.’

The news comes as the Rail Delivery Group and industry partners – supported by £16.4m DfT funding – completed the final phase of rolling out barcoding technology, which allows customers to scan digital tickets at the gate.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “Our railways have a long history, but projects like these – part of the Government’s wider plans for reform – will ensure they have a bright future too.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Our Swift smartcard already enables passengers to transfer seamlessly between our various local bus operators and Metro tram services whilst guaranteeing they get best value fares.

“Now thanks to this pilot scheme, we will now add rail to our offering - making Swift truly multi-modal and bringing us much closer to a London ‘Oyster card’ style system.

“This is a practical example of how the Deeper Devolution Deal we agreed with Government is delivering tangible benefits for local people right across our region.”

Stewart Fox-Mills, Director for Fares, Ticketing and Retail at GBRTT said: "Buying a train ticket is often too complicated. Which is why work to simplify the experience customers have is such a vital part of wider rail reforms.

"Partnership working, bringing the railway together to work with local partners, has unlocked pilots that will deliver a more seamless travel experience for customers in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester.”

With plans already in motion for industry to expand Pay As You Go in the South East later this year, the pilot stations confirmed today will see around 500 ‘tap-in’, ‘tap-out’ stations in England by 2025.