Ticketless train travel trial extended

A trial for ticketless train travel that works by tracking passengers' locations is being extended for another year.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) announced last September it would test pay-as-you-go technology, which uses the location data of app users' mobile phones to see where they have gone and charge them "the best fare at the end of the day".

The trial, which operates between Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, has recorded more than 27,000 journeys by 1,492 participants.

EMR said the app had received high satisfaction scores, and the company was hoping for more passengers to sign up to the scheme.

Neil Grabham, interim managing director, said: "The technology is designed to take away some of the complexity of rail ticketing.

"Customers can travel without having to worry about choosing the right ticket before they travel, with the system automatically working out the fare for their journey.

"Every journey made as part of the trial helps us understand how digital ticketing can improve the customer experience and shape the future of rail travel."

Similar trials are being run in other parts of the country, with a Yorkshire-based scheme also extended earlier this year.

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