In its letter to Chris Heaton-Harris, the Built Environment Committee notes that the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail published in May this year sets out steps to reduce the complexity of fares and improve ticketing technology. The writers state: “it is critical to the success of the proposals that the Government outlines a coherent vision for fares that can be implemented stage-by-stage."
In its specific recommendations on technology, the committee says that in order to implement any simplified fare structure, contactless payment options should be made available at all stations across the national network.
The Government should prioritise a move to digital forms of ticketing. This will require infrastructure upgrades at stations to enable smart cards, phones and QR codes to be scanned, which will have upfront costs, but there will be cost savings from lower use of paper tickets.
In addition, Wi-Fi, phone and data connectivity on the lines should be...