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| Map of stations that will offer contactless ticketing |
After a very long wait, the UK Department for Transport has announced that contactless pay-as-you-go will finally be expanded to a further 50 stations across south-east England, including London Stansted and Southend airports! The launch will take place on 14 December 2025.
Let’s take a look at the press release on the UK government website:
From: Department for Transport and Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE
• easier travel for holiday makers with tap-in tap-out technology installed at Stansted and Southend Airport stations before Christmas
• ticketing modernised at 50 stations across south-east England, thanks to £18.7 million of government funding
• rollout comes as the government establishes Great British Railways, which will ultimately simplify fares and ticketing
Passengers travelling to every London airport will soon benefit from simpler train journeys, with the expansion of contactless ticketing to London’s Stansted and Southend Airports.
From 14 December, customers can tap-in and tap-out at all London airports for the first time, ensuring seamless connections from train to plane across our capital - just in time for Christmas travel.
The 6.7 million people travelling to and from Stansted Airport annually will no longer need to worry about booking tickets in advance and will experience more convenient and easier journeys.
The technology rollout is part of the government’s work to make rail fares and tickets more convenient, accessible and flexible through the move to Great British Railways (GBR) and builds on the introduction of other innovative ticketing technologies, such as digital pay-as-you-go trials running in Barnsley, Derby, Doncaster, Harrogate, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
It has been made possible by £18.7 million in government funding, as well as support from Transport for London, as part of a wider scheme across the south-east, with 50 stations getting the same upgrade at once.
Other stations modernising ticketing include those used by publicly owned train companies Greater Anglia and South Western Railway, like Beaulieu Park, Woking and Chelmsford.
Read more
Here is the list of stations introducing contactless pay-as-you-go:
Ashtead
Aylesbury
Aylesbury Vale Parkway
Baldock
Beaulieu Park
Billericay
Bishop’s Stortford
Box Hill & Westhumble
Chelmsford
Dorking (Main)
Dormans
East Grinstead
Great Missenden
Harlington
Harlow Mill
Harlow Town
Hatfield Peverel
Hitchin
Hockley
Hurst Green
Ingatestone
Knebworth
Leagrave
Leatherhead
Letchworth Garden City
Lingfield
Little Kimble
Luton
Monks Risborough
Oxted
Princes Risborough
Prittlewell
Rayleigh
Reigate
Rochford
Roydon
Saunderton
Sawbridgeworth
Southend Airport
Southend Victoria
Stansted Airport
Stansted Mountfitchet
Stevenage
Stoke Mandeville
Watton-at-Stone
Welwyn North
Wendover
Wickford
Witham
Woldingham
After years of passengers being fined because they didn’t realise that London Stansted Airport did not accept contactless or Oyster pay-as-you-go, and with the issue repeatedly raised by the press and London TravelWatch, the wait is finally over!
I made that suggestion way back in 2017, and it has certainly been long overdue to get Contactless Pay As You Go delivered.https://t.co/dn2CgXT5iz
— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) September 3, 2024
Congratulations are also due to organisations such as London TravelWatch, alongside other passenger groups, campaign groups, and supportive politicians, all of whom have consistently pushed for contactless pay-as-you-go to be introduced at Stansted Airport. Their sustained advocacy over many years has helped make this long-awaited improvement a reality.
I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support
Further reading
Suggestion: I Believe It’s Time for a New Regional Transport Body for the South East of England?
I Believe TfL Should Reform The Travelcard Agreement To Offer Smart Flexible Ticketing Options
