Train operator Great Western Railway is set to introduce a new pay-as-you-go smartcard to roll payments and tickets into one, to ensure customers are getting the best value.
Launching the new GWR smartcards | Photo © GWR
The GWR touch smartcard will be available to use across the West of England area and is valid on GWR, Cross Country and Transport for Wales rail services within the pay-as-you-go boundary.
The card will enable passengers to get the best value on walk-up fares for the day of travel, plus Weekly Season ticket price capping applied to end-to-end journeys between two stations over a Monday to Sunday seven-day week.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “If we are going to reach our really ambitious net-zero-by-2030 target, we need to make it as easy and affordable as possible for West of Englanders to use public transport.
“This will help us cut congestion, improve road safety and begin to clean up our air too.
The area where customers can use the pay-as-you-go service | Image © GWR
“The new pay-as-you-go GWR touch smartcard makes it easier for passengers making local journeys across the West of England Mayoral region, letting people breeze through the ticket barriers rather than having to queue in the station for a printed ticket.
“And with money tight it’s good to know you’ll always be charged the best value walk-up, flexible fare.
“This is an important first step and I look forward to working with GWR on further future improvements to make it easier to top up, to integrate with other types of public transport and one day to be able to use debit cards to tap in.”
GWR Head of Retail Lee Edworthy added: “We’re delighted to be able to introduce this innovative new product, making it easier for people to take advantage of using the train in the Bristol area.
“We’re really excited about the impending customer launch of the scheme and the future opportunities it provides in other areas and incorporating other modes of transport.”
Users will no longer need to buy a train ticket before jumping on a train in the pay-as-you-go travel area.
They will need to just touch in and touch out on yellow smartcard readers on the ticket gates or platform validators for each journey they make, and at the end of the day they’ll be charged the best walk-up fare.
Should a journey be delayed, the train operator will let the customer know if you’re eligible for compensation.
Train tickets and season tickets can also be stored on a smartcard with pay-as-you-go, except a Flexi Season ticket.
GWR advises that a Flexi Season ticket is not used in combination with pay-as-you-go and customers should obtain a separate smartcard for these products.
The service is expected to be available to customers at the beginning of September and is the first step before expanding wider schemes to other areas of the GWR network.
Future plans could also see the inclusion of bus services and other transport modes to offer a multi-modal solution.
You can get a touch smartcard now, and GWR will let you know when you can start enjoying pay-as-you-go travel.
To get your card, register for a GWR.com account or log in if you already have one. Go to ‘Manage smartcards’ within your account and choose ‘Apply for a smartcard’ from the drop-down menu. Then fill out the form and submit your order.
You should usually receive your free smartcard within five working days.
