Oyster and Contactless pay as you go ticketing extended to Gatwick Airport

As of January 2016, rail passengers travelling to and from Gatwick Airport will be able to use pay as you go ticketing via Oyster Card or Contactless payment thanks to an agreement between the government, Transport for London (TfL) and the operator, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

Pay as you go using Oyster and Contactless will be introduced as new methods of payment from next year for journeys between London and Gatwick Airport on Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink services. The option will also be available at five other stations along the route including Horley, Salfords, Earlswood, Redhill and Merstham. As well as providing flexibility for both commuters and visitors the extension will create seamless onward connections to London’s transport network and National Rail services.

Oyster and Contactless introduced on Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink services between London and Gatwick Airport

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “This extension of Oyster and Contactless embraces some of the latest technology, making journeys easier for customers, offering them a vastly more convenient option. As we undertake the biggest rail modernisation since the Victorian era, improving London to Gatwick by rail is another step to a modern railway that strengthens the economy.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said: “By providing a quick and easy way to pay, our Oyster and contactless ticketing has transformed the way people get around our capital. We’ve already extended this on a number of key routes outside of London and it makes perfect sense for Londoners, commuters and passengers from around the world to benefit from this further link to Gatwick Airport.”

Customers will benefit from reduced fares using the pay as you go ticketing option. Currently, a single journey paper peak-time ticket costs £15.40 from London Terminals to Gatwick Airport, with pay as you go; a rush hour trip will cost £14.00 and £8.00 off-peak. Gatwick Express fares will reduce slightly from £19.90 for a single journey to £19.80.

TfL’s Director of Customer Experience, Shashi Verma, said: “Expanding Oyster and the Contactless ticketing system to Gatwick Airport is a great step forward. Nearly 25 per cent of our pay as you go customers use Contactless payment already because it is so quick and easy. We are committed to making paying for transport easier for everyone and this extension will allow travellers from across the world to quickly jump on a train to central London and start their holiday or business trip with minimum fuss.”

Gatwick Express Passenger Services Director, Angie Doll, added: “We are delighted that our passengers will be able to use pay as you go to travel between Gatwick Airport and London. This is yet another example of how we are making it easier for our passengers to travel by National Rail using state-of-the-art payment technology, and one of many customer benefits we are introducing and delivering across GTR such as a new Gatwick Express train fleet, 1,400 new carriages for the Thameslink programme and a £50m investment on improving our stations.”