Contactless rail travel extended to all London airports with Stansted and Southend upgrade

Passengers travelling  to all London airports will be able to use tap-in, tap-out contactless ticketing from 14 December, as the government rolls out the technology to Stansted and Southend airport rail stations.

The upgrade, funded through £18.7 million of government investment and delivered with support from Transport for London (TfL), means travellers can use a bank card or contactless device to board trains without pre-booking.

It will simplify journeys for the 6.7 million annual passengers using Stansted Airport and forms part of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR), alongside improvements at 50 stations across the south-east.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Rail ticketing is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century. Through the expansion of tap-in tap-out technology and shortly through GBR, we’re doing just that and making buying tickets more convenient, more accessible and more flexible – and ensuring passengers can get the best fares.”

He added: “As part of our Plan for Change, we’re delivering straightforward, stress-free train travel across the south-east, supporting passengers and boosting economic growth, jobs and homes.”

Expansion builds on growing digital ticketing network

The rollout follows digital pay-as-you-go trials in Barnsley, Derby, Doncaster, Harrogate, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield, and builds on earlier contactless installations at 53 stations, which have already supported 5.6 million journeys since June 2024.

TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, Alex Williams, said: “For more than 10 years, the popularity of convenient travel via pay-as-you-go with contactless has grown and become increasingly popular across London and the surrounding areas. We are delighted to be extending pay-as-you-go with contactless to a further 50 stations from 14 December, including Stansted Airport, making it easier for those arriving at the airport to travel to London and experience all the city has to offer.”

He continued: “Expanding pay-as-you-go with contactless will further help those travelling by rail outside London do so more flexibly and conveniently, avoid the need to pre-purchase tickets or paper Travelcards when heading into the capital, and support the wider UK economic recovery through easier access to rail travel.”

Enhancing passenger experience

London Stansted Managing Director Gareth Powell said the upgrade would significantly enhance passenger experience: “The introduction of contactless travel on the Stansted Express is great news for passengers and will make rail travel between Stansted and London even more simple and convenient.”

He added: “London Stansted is the third largest airport in the London system and the second biggest gateway to the capital for European visitors… more seamless rail travel between the airport and London Liverpool Street will significantly improve our passengers’ experience and make choosing the train even more attractive.”

Rail Delivery Group Executive Chair and CEO Jacqueline Starr said: “This is another important step in making it easier for customers to travel by train. Extending tap-in-tap-out to a further 50 stations will mean even more rail customers can benefit from this technology, knowing they will always pay the right fare at the right price.”

The programme forms part of the government’s wider overhaul of fares and ticketing under GBR, which aims to simplify pricing, reduce complexity and support modal shift to rail. Digital ticketing trials launched in September have already enabled more than 4,000 journeys, while reforms in Greater Manchester are removing long-standing fare complexity.

The full list of stations introducing pay-as-you-go is available here.