20 Hertfordshire railway stations to get contactless ticketing in 2025

Hemel Hempstead station, which should receive new "Pay As You Go" contactless technology by the end of 2023
-Credit:Daily Mirror/Ian Vogler


Eleven railway stations in Hertfordshire will get contactless ticketing next month - with nine more to follow later in 2025. From February 2, passengers on some key lines into London will be able to use tap-in tap-out ticketing with their debit or credit card rather than purchasing a paper or digital ticket.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said the move would “simplify thousands of journeys every day for passengers across the south-east”. Stations benefitting from the contactless rollout on February 2 will include Watford North, Garston, Bricket Wood, How Wood, Park Street, St Albans Abbey, King’s Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.

They had been expected to get contactless in September last year, but it was delayed after Transport for London was hit by a cyber attack. They will be followed later in the year by a raft of other Hertfordshire railway stations, including Stevenage, Baldock, Bishop’s Stortford, Hitchin, Knebworth, Letchworth Garden City, Sawbridgeworth, Watton-at-Stone and Welwyn North.

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In total, 47 railway stations in the south east will get contactless ticketing on 2 February, with the rollout reaching a further 49 stations later in the year. Passengers using contactless ticketing will be guaranteed the cheapest fare available on the day for their journey.

Lord Hendy said: “The ticketing system is far too complicated, so we’re taking the stress out of navigating the labyrinth of fares and replacing it with new technology so passengers can simply tap in out.

“We are delivering the biggest overhaul of our rail network in a generation, putting passengers at the heart of every journey and encouraging more people to choose rail.”

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the rail delivery group, said: “We are committed to developing a simpler and better-value fare system that not only meets our customers’ expectations but also supports the long-term growth of rail travel and enhances the overall customer experience.”