4th July 2023: Laura Trott, MP for Sevenoaks and Swanley, has today celebrated the announcement from Rail Minister, Huw Merriman MP, that contactless ticketing will be coming to six stations across Sevenoaks.
From Autumn this year passengers will be able to travel from Bat and Ball, Dunton Green, Eynsford, Otford, Sevenoaks and Shoreham using their contactless card.
The news marks the end of a long campaign Laura has been running since her election in 2019. And, follows a visit from the Rail Minister to Sevenoaks in May, where Laura Trott MP and local councillors showed him first hand the current challenges facing passengers purchasing and collecting tickets.
Responding to the announcement, Laura Trott MP said:
“This is a terrific day for Sevenoaks and will make a huge difference for those regularly commuting to London, who will no longer have the hassle of queuing up for your ticket, picking the right fare and locating said ticket on the journey home. I am thrilled.”
Rail Minister Huw Merriman said:
“One of the best ways to get more people using our railways is to make journeys as simple, flexible and convenient as possible and the government’s programme for rail reform prioritises exactly that.”
The announcement is part of the Government £20 million funding to roll out tap-in tap-out technology to 53 stations across the South East.
Pay As You Go is already available at over 350 stations across London and the South East stretching from Reading and Gatwick Airport all the way to Shenfield and Welwyn Garden City. Today’s announcement, in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), C2C, Southeastern, South Western Railway, London Northwestern, and Chiltern, will see the total number of tap-in-tap-out stations in England jump to over 400 by the end of the year.
The news follows the Transport Secretary’s commitment in his George Bradshaw address to reform and overhaul fares and ticketing across Britain’s railways, making them simpler and more flexible across the network.
Photo Credit: Simon Reay
