When contactless is announced at your station should you be pleased or disappointed?


The Railfuture view is that, in general, commuters should be pleased and leisure travellers disappointed.  That's because there are too many circumstances when passengers will end up paying more. 

Travellers are most likely to end up paying more than before for the following main reasons:
  1. Payment was made by contactless, even though the traveller would have received a railcard discount if a paper or online ticket had been purchased.
  2. Families with children under 16 (and children under 16 travelling alone) decide to use contactless.
  3. Because they are travelling at the weekend and all cheap weekend fares have been abolished.
  4. Because the many off-peak prices applicable have been consolidated into one - priced between the most and least expensive off-peak tickets that used to be available.

Our situation report here explains more.

Railfuture's view is that it is political will that can address these issues. We think that the #4 of the above is a price worth paying for easier choices and predictability - now you don't need to be a fares wizard to work out the price you will pay.

What should the Government do?

  1. We'd love to see action on the first three, but see the political will and wider pressures to be different:
  2. Railcard discounts on contactless are about delivering contactless properly are about making the product fit for purpose and something that can really be fairly sold and promoted. Therefore asking for action is almost also a complaint - why have you rolled out a product that isn't fit for purpose?
  3. Weekend fares are, realistically, a commercial decision. The Railfuture view is "provide it and it will be used" - it is better to have more passengers paying less per journey than few passengers each paying more. Therefore the ask for action is more about "Why isn't the industry pursueing a "full train is a good train" strategy.
  4. On Families, the Railfuture view is that Contactless is a product for individuals, not for families and it is time to start developing an alternative pay as you go product for families (there is more on the reasons for this approach on our page).

What should I do?

We think there are two very disparate things to do:
  1. When travelling by train, do not just believe the hype - check out the detail for your circumstances to see if contactless will offer the lowest cost for your journey
  2. Write to your MP to lobby for them to take action on some or all of getting Railcards on contactless, bringing back weekend fares (or for stations due to get contactless, retaining them) and developing a pay as you go solution for families.