East Midlands and Northern trains launch digital ticketing trials for simpler, flexible, and contactless rail travel

Passengers across the East Midlands can now benefit from simpler and more flexible tickets with the launch of new digital trials. From 1 September 2025, passengers travelling between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham can take part, with further trials starting on Northern Trains services in Yorkshire from the end of September.

The digital ticketing trials allow passengers to check in and check out seamlessly using a location-identifying app on their phones. The app tracks journeys using GPS technology and automatically charges the best fare at the end of the day. For ticket inspections or to go through barriers, a unique bar code appears in the app to be scanned.

This technology replaces paper tickets and the more common mobile QR code tickets bought online or via apps ahead of travel. Passengers no longer need to plan or book journeys in advance, as the app tracks their journeys and detects when they leave the rail network. Up to 4,000 passengers can participate by signing up on the relevant train operator’s website, enjoying simpler, more flexible travel and guaranteed best-value fares.

This technology has been tested in Switzerland, Denmark and Scotland, marking its first trial on England’s rail network. Passengers can sign up for the East Midlands Rail trial or for Northern services to Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley.

The trials demonstrate the government’s commitment to boosting passenger experience and using innovative technology to encourage more people to travel by rail. By saving time and money on thousands of journeys, digital ticketing improves living standards and supports working people, contributing to the government’s Plan for Change.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “The railway ticketing system is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century. Through these trials, we’re doing just that and making buying tickets more convenient, more accessible and more flexible. By putting passenger experience at the heart of our decision making, we’re modernising fares and ticketing and making it simpler and easier for people to choose rail. Through our Plan for Change, we’re delivering growth in every corner of the country and passengers across the Midlands and North will see real change in buying their train travel from today.”

Oli Cox, Head of Commercial Strategy and Business Planning at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re delighted to announce the launch of our digital pay-as-you-go trial. We’ve had a fantastic response from customers keen to take part, with more than 500 people registering their interest so far. We know that complex fares can be a real barrier to travel, but this trial removes that uncertainty, making it easy to simply tap in and out on your phone, safe in the knowledge you’re always getting the best-value fare on the day. It is exciting to be one of the first train operating companies to trial this new technology, and we’re looking forward to hearing from customers as they start using the app to travel between Derby, Nottingham and Leicester in the months ahead. There is still time for customers to sign up and try it for themselves.”

Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, said: “Since I first stood to be Mayor, it’s been my ambition to introduce integrated, tap on and off ticketing technology across the region. I’m therefore very pleased to see this first step towards simpler and more flexible train tickets being trialled by East Midlands Rail. It’s important to me that residents have automatic access to the best value for money when travelling. I urge anyone who uses this line regularly to register their interest and give it a go. With full public transport responsibilities being devolved to me in 2026, I look forward to hearing the feedback from East Midlands Rail and working together in the future to make easier journeys possible for everyone in the East Midlands.”

From the end of September, thousands more passengers will be able to use simplified ticketing on Northern services to Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley. Northern passengers are already adopting modern ticketing, with January figures showing almost 78 per cent monthly usage of mobile tickets and a single-day high of 89 per cent. In June last year, growing mobile ticket preference reduced 2.3 million orange ‘magstripe’ tickets in 12 months.

Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern, said: “These trials mark an important step forward in simplifying rail travel and making the experience as frictionless as possible for our customers. By trialling digital pay-as-you-go technology on some of our routes, we’re helping to shape a future where hopping on a train is as easy as tapping in and out. We thank the customers who have registered to participate in the trials on our routes later this year and we hope more will come forward to play their part in modernising how people travel by rail in the North.”

Backed by nearly £1 million of government funding, the trials form part of plans to modernise the transport system, putting passenger experience at the heart of every journey and encouraging more people to take the train. The government is delivering the biggest overhaul of the railways in a generation through the creation of Great British Railways, which aims to provide better and more reliable services for passengers.