A train ticket rule is set set to be scrapped and will save thousands of travellers from £100 fines.
Holidaymakers heading between London and Stansted Airport have been unable to ‘tap out’ with their debit card or Oyster when they reach the busy hub.
Some 6.7 million passengers a year travel to and from the airport and many have received fines from ticket inspectors waiting for their arrival.
But from December 14, the airport’s railway station in Essex will be able to accept contactless payments.
It comes as the Department for Transport announced 49 other stations across the south-east of England will take contactless cards, too.
At the moment, travellers are able to open ticket barriers at Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale stations and board a train to the airport by tapping their contactless cards.
However, when they reach Stansted Airport they are prohibited from tapping out at the end of their journey.
Watchdog London TravelWatch estimated in 2019 that a whopping 16,000 holidaymakers using the Stansted Express per year were being hit with fines for trying to pay with contactless or Oyster cards.
Holidaymakers heading between London and Stansted Airport have been unable to tap out with their debit card or Oyster when they reach the busy hub
The Watchdog urged passengers to remain ‘savvy’ so they ‘avoid paying over the odds’ and called for the rail industry to ‘be super-clear in communicating the changes;.
‘Oyster cards won’t count as contactless cards and will still not be valid at Stansted Airport Station,’ the spokesperson warned.
What’s more, Southend airport’s station will also accept contactless payments from December 14.
This means travellers can use the handy tech to pay for train travel from the capital to all airports serving London.
Under the current no-contactless system, if handed a penalty fare, the individual must pay £100 plus the cost of an applicable ticket.
For example, an anytime fare from Liverpool Street to Stansted costs around £23 which means passengers mistakenly using a contactless card would have to pay £123 in total.
If paid within 21 days, penalty fares are normally discounted to £50 plus the ticket price.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: ‘Rail ticketing is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century.
Some 6.7million passengers a year travel to and from the airport and many have received fines from ticket inspectors waiting for their arrival
‘Through the expansion of tap-in tap-out technology, and shortly through GBR (Great British Railways), we’re doing just that and making buying tickets more convenient, more accessible and more flexible – and ensuring passengers can get the best fares.
‘As part of our Plan for Change, we’re delivering straightforward, stress-free train travel across the South East, supporting passengers and boosting economic growth, jobs and homes.’
However, contactless cards will still not be permitted for journeys between Cambridge and Stansted Airport.
This expansion of contactless ticketing in the South East received £18.7 million of Government funding, as well as support from Transport for London.
Among other stations to benefit are Aylesbury, Chelmsford, Dorking (Main), Luton, Southend Victoria and Stevenage.
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, described the new system as ‘great news’.
He added: ‘As a major enabler of inbound tourism as well as the airport of choice for millions of people in London, more seamless rail travel between the airport and London Liverpool Street will significantly improve our passengers’ experience and make choosing the train even more attractive.’
Meanwhile, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director Martin Beable said: ‘We are pleased to be introducing pay-as-you-go contactless ticketing for passengers travelling to Stansted Airport and Southend Airport using the Stansted Express or Greater Anglia’s fast, frequent, and reliable services.
But from December 14 the airport’s railway station, in Essex, will be able to accept contactless payments
‘Alongside our modern fleet of trains and ongoing station improvements, expanding pay-as-you-go contactless ticketing helps us continue to make train travel more convenient, accessible and attractive for everyone.’
Last year, London TravelWatch’s boss Michael Roberts slammed the ‘unfair’ practice by train operator Greater Anglia which runs the Stansted Express service.
He raged: ‘It’s plainly wrong that passengers continue to be unfairly penalised for not knowing that contactless payment isn’t accepted at London Stansted Airport.
‘With ”London” in its name, people quite reasonably assume they’ll be able to tap out using a contactless card, especially when they were allowed to tap in using one at the start of their journey.’
Former business secretary and now leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch previously spoke out about the matter, and her spokesperson said: ‘[She is] making enquiries directly to Greater Anglia and the Department for Transport regarding contactless card readers at Stansted Airport station.’
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