EMR’s Digital Pay As You Go trial extended for a further 12 months after reaching 27,000 journeys
- Pioneering Digital Pay As You Go trial extended by another 12 months
- More than 27,000 journeys have been made since its launch
- Trial runs between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham.
- Using GPS-based technology, the system tracks journeys via mobile and automatically works out the correct fare.
East Midlands Railway (EMR), operated by Transport UK, is extending its pioneering Digital Pay As You Go trial for a further 12 months after more than 27,000 journeys were completed through the scheme.
The trial, which operates between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham, uses GPS-based technology within the EMR app to automatically track customers’ journeys and calculate the correct fare for their travel.
Unlike traditional rail ticketing, customers taking part in the trial do not need to select and purchase a ticket before travelling. Instead, the technology tracks their journey through the EMR app and automatically calculates the appropriate fare.
Since launching, 1,492 customers have been part of the trial, with 27,009 Pay As You Go journeys taking place.
The Digital Pay As You Go app has also received a customer satisfaction rating of 4.4 out of 5, highlighting the positive response to the simpler way of paying for rail travel.
The trial forms part of a wider industry programme, supported by the Department for Transport, exploring smarter and more flexible ticketing options for rail customers.
Neil Grabham, Interim Managing Director at East Midlands Railway, said: "Reaching more than 27,000 journeys is a fantastic milestone and, alongside a customer satisfaction score of 4.4 out of 5, shows that customers are responding positively to a simpler and more flexible way of paying for rail travel.
“We’re delighted to be extending the trial for a further 12 months, giving even more customers the opportunity to experience Digital Pay As You Go and with no limit on the number of people taking part we want as many people as possible to try out this new way of buying tickets with us.
“The technology is designed to take away some of the complexity of rail ticketing. Customers can travel without having to worry about choosing the right ticket before they travel, with the system automatically working out the fare for their journey.
“Every journey made as part of the trial helps us understand how digital ticketing can improve the customer experience and shape the future of rail travel. We would encourage anyone who regularly travels between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham to sign up and take part.”