Major Expansion of Contactless Rail Payments
A significant change is coming to rail travel for London commuters as contactless payment technology expands to 50 additional stations across Southeast England from December 14. The Department for Transport has confirmed the rollout, which will finally include Stansted Airport station - ending a controversial ticketing rule that has resulted in tens of thousands of passengers receiving fines.
End of Stansted Express Penalty Trap
For years, passengers travelling from central London to Stansted Airport have faced an unusual predicament. While they could tap their contactless cards to enter stations at Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale, they were prohibited from tapping out at the airport, leading to automatic penalties. This system has caught out approximately 16,000 Stansted Express travellers annually according to estimates from watchdog London TravelWatch.
The nationalised Greater Anglia operator regularly deployed ticket inspectors at the airport, issuing £100 fines to unsuspecting passengers who assumed they could use their contactless cards for the entire journey. A London TravelWatch spokesperson welcomed the change, describing the previous ban as "unfair" while cautioning that Oyster cards will still not be valid at Stansted Airport Station.
Government-Backed Modernisation
Rail minister Lord Hendy stated: "Rail ticketing is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century. Through the expansion of tap-in tap-out technology, we're making buying tickets more convenient, more accessible and more flexible - and ensuring passengers can get the best fares."
The contactless expansion represents part of the government's "Plan for Change" and has received £18.7 million in Government funding with additional support from Transport for London. The changes will enable contactless travel from London to all airports serving the capital, including Southend Airport which also joins the scheme on December 14.
Notably, the contactless system will still not cover journeys between Cambridge and Stansted Airport, and passengers are advised to remain aware of the specific terms. The full list of 50 stations includes major commuter hubs such as Aylesbury, Chelmsford, Luton, Stevenage, and multiple stations along various routes serving London commuters.
