Rail services to trial digital ticketing

The government is to trial digital ticketing for rail services in parts of Yorkshire from the autumn.

The trials will see GPS technology track train journeys to ensure passengers pay the best fare for their journey, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

Rail users can sign up for the scheme in advance, with initial trials taking place on Northern services between Harrogate and Leeds, Sheffield and Barnsley, and Sheffield and Doncaster.

They will begin between September and November and run for nine months.

The government said digital ticketing was part of its plan to overhaul the railways ahead of the creation of Great British Railways, which will be the state-owned company operating the UK's rail infrastructure.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: "Contactless ticketing is making journeys easier to navigate for millions of passengers, and now our digital trials are actively recruiting volunteers to help expand this technology across Yorkshire."

Unlike the previous roll-out of pay-as-you-go, which uses contactless payment at barriers, these trials will use GPS technology to track people's location throughout their train journey.

Up to 1,000 passengers will be able to take part on each route of the trials, meaning 3,000 passengers across Yorkshire in total.

People can sign up via Northern's website.

Alex Hornby from Northern said the trial marked a step forward in simplifying rail travel.

"By trialling pay-as-you-go technology on some of our routes, we're helping to shape a future where hopping on a train is as easy as checking in and out," he said.

A trial will also be taking place in the East Midlands, operated by East Midlands Railway (EMR), running between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham.

Contactless ticketing has been trialled at 53 stations across the south-east of England, with more than two million entries and exits recorded.

The DfT is also working with operators in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to further expand the scheme.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.