LONDON, Aug. 7 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* digitalticketingtrials extended across Yorkshirefor asimpler, smarterway totravel aheadof the creation ofGreat British Railways * follows successful trials, with over 30,000 journeysfrom Leeds to Harrogate and Doncaster toSheffieldusing digital pay-as-you-goalready undertaken * passengersuse an app with GPS that calculates thebestfareso theycan travel flexibly, knowingthey'llget the best value ticket

Thousandsmorerail passengersacross Yorkshirewill be able to use simpler, flexibleticketingasdigital pay-as-you-go technology is extended to all travellersonNorthern's2 trialroutes.

Digital ticketing allowspassengersto download an app that uses GPS to tracktheirjourneysto calculatethe bestfare without physically checking in and out or buying a ticket in advance.

The technology alsohelps tominimisefare evasion as it makes sure passengers pay the right fare for their journey and protects passengers who might innocently buy the wrong tickets as digital pay-as-you-go selects for them.

After launching in 2025, the trials were opened toan initial2,000 passengers across 2 routes in the North: Leeds to Harrogate and Doncaster to Sheffield.

Over 30,000 journeys have benefited, with passengers leaving positive reviews, praising how easy the technology is to use. The expanded trials include a third route in the East Midlands, from Leicester to Nottingham via Derby.

The trials come as part of wider fare and ticketing reforms ahead ofGreat British Railways (GBR), including the rollout of pay-as-you-go and plans to develop a GBR website, an app that will act as a one-stop shop for passengers to buy tickets, check train times and claim Delay Repay to cut through the confusing options at 14 different operators currently available to passengers.

Now, the cap on the number of peopleable to take parthas been lifted in response to thetrials'popularity and success in the region, meaning an unlimited number of passengers can benefit from contactless ticketing on these routes.

Rail Minister, LordPeterHendy, said:

Buying a train ticket across much of Yorkshireis far too complicated, with thewhole systemlong overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century.Thedigital pay-as-you-go trialshave beena huge successand by extending them, we're making that convenience,accessibilityand flexiblefor even more passengers.

This is rail reform inaction.We'redelivering straightforward, stress-free train travel across theNorth,supporting passengers, a key step in our mission toboost growth, jobs and homesas we work to set up Great British Railways.

It comes as part of the government's mission to put power into the hands of local communities, working with authorities who are best placed to design ticketing solutions that work for their communities.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all national model,we'regiving them the tools and data to build integrated ticketing that fits their needs.

This includes the rollout of contactless ticketingwith bankcards at over 100 stations in thesouth-east, connecting trains with London's airports, bus, Tube and tram networks and making 55 million journeys in the region simpler every year.

Alex Hornby, Northern's Commercial and Customer Director, said:

The future of ticketing is happening right here in the North, which is making train travel simpler,frictionlessand more convenient for our customers.

We'redelighted the trial has been extended until September 2027 as thousands of people will be able to use this innovative technology on 2 of our routes.

It has already been used to make more than 30,000 journeys on Northern services andwe'vereceived a lot of positive feedback so far.

Customers are still welcome to sign up now to try out this digital pay-as-you-goapp andreceive £15 worth of free credit to their account.

The government's £156 million investment innew ticketing schemes means that by2027, pay-as-you-go will be available at over100more stationsacross Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the south-east.Anew GBR website and appis also in development, which willserve as a one-stop shop, with passengers able to buy tickets, check train timesand access supportin one simple-to-use app.

Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy and Research at Campaign for Better Transport, said:

Making publictransporteasier to use is one of the most effective ways to attract more people on board. Expanding digital pay-as-you-go is a welcome step towards a simpler, more seamless railway, making it easierforpassengers to get the best fare without navigating a complex ticketing system. We hope these successful trials pave the wayforfully integrated ticketing across the publictransportnetwork.

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