Public Transport: North of England

Question

The Department is taking multiple steps to ensure mobile ticketing is available in the north of England, including:

• Phase 1 of Transport for the North’s (TfN’s) Integrated and Smart Travel programme, which formed part of the Department’s wider Smart Ticketing on National Rail programme, is enabling rail passengers across the north to utilise both ITSO smart cards and barcode tickets to travel across the rail network, rather than having to use traditional mag-stripe tickets. The Department approved the use of up to £18.5m for this work.
• As of 1 December 2020, rail passengers can now buy barcode tickets for single and return journeys that cross the England and Scotland border in addition to the already extensive availability across the north. Following an agreement between DfT, Transport Scotland and train operators, these can be bought at all rail retailers and be delivered directly to a mobile phone.
• When published, the National Bus Strategy will outline the Department's vision for information, ticketing and technology on buses moving forward, including for the north