Hemel, Tring and Berkhamsted railway stations included in big tap-in-tap-out rollout

Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted railway stations are among the stops set to include a tap-on-and-off option.

The Government has confirmed today (4 July) that contactless pay as you go options will be added to 53 stations located in the south east of England.

Also included in the rollout are Kings Langley, Apsley, and Watford North railway stations.

Passengers will now be able to pay for their journeys on arrival using contactless bank cards.

To launch the project the Department for Transport is allocating £20 million to the project.

Card readers at stations are designed to automatically give customers the best price available on the day of travelling.

This system is available to passengers at 350 stations across London and the south east stretching from Reading and Gatwick Airport all the way to Shenfield and Welwyn Garden City.

The Government states that Transport for London, C2C, Southeastern, South Western Railway, London Northwestern, and Chiltern have been involved in setting up the project.

These changes are linked to the Transport Secretary’s claims that he will reform and overhaul fares and ticketing across Britain’s railways, making them simpler and more flexible across the network.

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.

“By removing the stress of finding the best deal in advance or having the right ticket ready to go at the barriers, the extension of tap-in tap-out ticketing is the next step of our plan for rail reform and we’re working towards Pay As You Go being rolled out beyond the South East through the Midlands and up to the North.”

Pay As You Go is widely used across London and the surrounding area with Transport for London data showing that more than 75 per cent of all Tube and rail pay as you go journeys regularly made using contactless payment cards or mobile devices, compared to 25 per cent in 2016.