Your chance to try simpler train tickets in the East Midlands this September

From Friday 6th June, one thousand passengers across the East Midlands will have a chance to volunteer to take part in a new digital ticketing trial.

Backed by government funding, the trial will use GPS based technology to track train journeys, ensuring passengers pay the best fare for the journey they take.  

Digital ticketing builds on the government’s plans to overhaul the railways to make them simpler, more flexible and passenger focused. Ahead of the creation of Great British Railways, the government continues to work to deliver positive changes like this for passengers - attracting more people back onto our trains, boosting the economy and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. 

The trial being operated by East Midlands Railway (EMR) will run between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham. 

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said: “Contactless ticketing is making journeys easier to navigate for millions of passengers, and now our digital trials are actively recruiting volunteers to help expand this technology across the East Midlands. 

“Simplifying ticketing is a major part of our plans to overhaul the railways. I encourage anyone who regularly gets the train along these routes to get involved, and help us build a ticketing system that delivers a better experience for passengers and communities across the country."

Unlike the previous roll out of pay as you go, which uses contactless payment at barriers, these trials will use GPS based technology to track people’s location throughout their train journey.

Up to 1,000 passengers will be able to take part with the trial set to get underway at the beginning of September running for nine months. Three other trial routes will taking place across Yorkshire, operated by Northern will. These will cover Harrogate, Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Leeds and will begin between September and November. 

Anyone interested in taking part should check EMR’s website where a recruitment campaign has been launched.

Jenna Cowie Interim Commercial Director at East Midlands Railway said: “We're excited to be part of a project that aims to improve the way people travel and it is a great opportunity for our customers in Derby, Nottingham and Leicester to be among the very first in the country to experience a new, smarter way to buy train tickets.

“This trial is all about making train travel easier, faster and more intuitive. No more fare confusion – just check in and out with your phone and travel knowing you’ll automatically pay the best-value fare for your journey.”

These trials are expected to build on the success of the roll out of contactless ticketing at 53 stations across the South East. Since introduced, more than two million entries and exits have been made using contactless cards or mobile devices, averaging around 140,000 a week – showing how popular the system is with customers using those stations already. 

The Department is also working closely with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to develop their proposals for rolling out contactless ticketing even further. 

This follows on from a watershed moment last month when South Western Railway (SWR) services became the first Train Operating Company to transfer back into public control since the passing of the Public Ownership Bill, ending almost 30 years of fragmentation and waste under privatisation.   

By bringing track and train together, Great British Railways will enable operations to run more seamlessly, bringing accountability and reliability back into the railways and, in turn, helping to reduce delays and cancellations.  

Great British Railways won’t just be the name of the new nationally owned railway, it symbolises a complete reset that will mark the high standard of service and delivery the public should expect to receive.    

The Government has announced £15.6 billion - the biggest ever investment - in buses, trams and local train infrastructure for city regions, benefiting working people across the North, the Midlands and the South West. The funding – a more than double real-terms increase in capital spending on local transport in city regions by 2029/30 compared with 2024/25 – will empower local leaders to invest in transport projects that will make a difference to their local area.