Thameslink and Great Northern launch first phase of smartcard ticketing

Smartcard ticketing known as ‘the key’ has launched on Thameslink and Great Northern services for season tickets holders between Royston, Huntingdon and London.

The smartcard ticketing technology will be issued to passengers with season tickets that begin outside the London Travelcard area. Travel prepayment can be added to the smartcard an online service or at a station ticket machine.

As well as Thameslink and Great Northern, ‘the key’ can also be used on Southern and Gatwick Express, where the system has been in place for almost two years.

“As well as the season tickets already provided on ‘the key’, we are developing many more ticket types”

David Innis, Commercial Director for Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express, said: “We know our passengers want a smarter, easier way to travel and we are determined to deliver this by extending Southern’s smartcard ‘the key’.

“As well as the season tickets already provided on ‘the key’, we are developing many more ticket types. A carnet product, to meet the growing demand for flexible ticketing by part-time workers, is well under way and next year we will add single and return daily tickets as well as a trial of pay as you go. Also, from next year, the key will be extended to the remaining Great Northern stations north of Royston, to Cambridge and King’s Lynn, and at Peterborough.

“There are great benefits to using ‘the key’ – once passengers have it, they can buy tickets online and then load them up simply by touching one of our new ticket gate card readers, or they can buy tickets to upload to the smartcard at one of our ticket machines.

“And if anyone loses a card, it can be instantly cancelled and a replacement issued with the same ticket pre-loaded.”

The smartcard is supported by a new online ticketing system and updated app which is designed to make the whole ticket buying process easier.