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04
Nov
Government reveals take-up for Harrogate trains digital ticket trial
A total of 656 people have signed up to a trial of a new digital train ticket system on services between Leeds and Harrogate.
The route was one of three in Yorkshire chosen to trial a new system which uses GPS technology to track train journeys, ensuring passengers pay the lowest fare for the journey they take.
The Harrogate line scheme was launched on September 29 on Northern services and will last for nine months.
The Sheffield-Doncaster and Sheffield-Barnsley lines were the other two routes trialling the system in the region.
In September, the Department of Transport said it hoped up to 1,000 passengers would be able to take part on each route of the three trials.
A Northern train.
However, in response to a parliamentary question on the topic, Simon Lightwood, minister for roads and buses, said 656 people had signed up to the trial.
He added that the government would push for 1,000 participants to take part.
Mr Lightwood said:
The Digital Pay As You Go trials are an opportunity for passengers to test cutting-edge technology and benefit from simpler, more flexible tickets.
We have had good engagement from passengers across the trial routes so far, with 656 users on Trial 2.
Before launch, 582 passengers expressed taking part in this trial. The department and delivery partners are pushing for as close to 1,000 participants per trial as possible to gather passenger views and effectively evaluate this innovative technology.
The trials use GPS technology to track people’s location throughout their train journey.
Passengers use an app on their phones to start their journeys, without pre-booking tickets or going through third-party apps.
The GPS tracking technology will then monitor when people get on and off trains and charge the lowest rates for tickets on the day of travel.
According to the Department for Transport, a scannable barcode will pop up on the app when customers approach ticket barriers.
The introduction of digital ticketing is part of the government’s Plan for Change to overhaul the service, ahead of the creation of Great British Railways, the planned state-owned railway company.
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