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Train fares have soared on some services as contactless payment systems are expanded, sparking fears passengers could be priced out of the railways.
Rebecca Paul, Conservative MP for Reigate, said the new rules could “take passengers completely off the rails”.
Train operator Govia Thameslink (GTR) said many passengers would save money and insisted the process was not designed to increase fare revenue.
As part of the Department for Transport’s Oval project, contactless ticketing was introduced at a further 30 stations in southeast England on December 14, allowing people to pay by swiping their card or device against a card reader, thus avoiding the need to buy tickets manually.
The price increase is a direct result of changes to paper ticketing time limits, which are aligned with TfL’s contactless structure. As a result, services that were previously available via off-peak tickets now require more expensive peak tickets.
The first weekday southern flight from Reigate, Surrey, to London, available with an off-peak day travel card, now departs at 9.28am, compared to the previous departure time of 8.58am.
But when the 8.58am train stops at Redhill just five minutes later, passengers can still board the train using off-peak tickets.
A one-day travelcard that can be used at any time at stations costs £37.10, while the off-peak version costs £20.60.
A member of the Reigate, Redhill and District Rail Users Association (RRDRUA) called the situation “ridiculous” and said he would cycle to Redhill to save money.
There are also new restrictions on travel between 4pm and 7pm.
Ms Paul said she had been contacted by a number of residents who were understandably frustrated by the expansion of contactless services.
She continued: “This change should make rail travel easier, not more expensive or confusing.
“Passengers in Reigate deserve the benefits of modern ticketing, but I will not stand idly by while my constituents face higher fares and fewer affordable travel options.
“Many are relying on off-peak travel to reduce costs and quietly narrowing the definition of off-peak risk, taking passengers off the rails entirely.”
Ms Paul pledged to keep up the pressure on GTR – the parent company of Southern and Thameslink – and the DfT “to ensure the introduction of contactless technology does not result in passengers paying more for the same journey”.
The contactless rollout has also led to some stations removing the cheapest super off-peak tickets.
RRDRUA organizer Steve Trigg said some families traveling to the capital were forced to change their itineraries or face an 85 per cent increase in the cost of return during peak times.
He said the changes had led to a “complex situation” and created “huge problems because the Department for Transport is not talking to ordinary people who use these services”.
Analysis by lobby group Railfuture said passengers paying via contactless will be charged twice as much as those using paper tickets on some journeys.
This is because railcards or children’s discounts cannot be registered via contactless methods.
A family of two adults and two children traveling from Luton to central London at the weekend would pay a total of £84 if using contactless, but would only pay £41.70 if they buy tickets from operator Thameslink and opt for the free Groupsave discount.
Commuters traveling to the capital from East Grinstead, West Sussex, during peak hours can save £3.60 a day by buying a paper ticket using a £35 Network Rail card.
Neil Middleton, deputy chairman of Railfuture, said: “Having contactless payment options for rail travel is a great thing, it’s convenient and simple.
“But there are currently some issues with it, so if travelers want to travel at the lowest prices, contactless payments often don’t offer the best deals.”
On expanding the contactless service, rail minister Lord Hendy said it would ensure “passengers get the best fares”.
Railfuture advises passengers wanting to find out the cheapest way to pay for their journeys check the train operator’s website and TfL’s single fare finder page.
A GTR spokesman said contactless made planning and paying for train journeys “faster and easier” and that the early stages of its rollout had been “extremely popular with passengers”.
He continued: “In order to introduce contactless paying, we must align the way fares are structured with that of the wider TfL contactless system.
“Peak and off-peak times must also match the TfL system.
“We understand that for some this means fares will rise, but for many others fares will fall.
“Overall, these changes are not intended to increase ticket revenue.”
GTR provided examples of savings for Reigate passengers, such as passengers making a one-way journey during off-peak weekdays paying just £7.60, compared to £14.60 previously.
Commuters departing before 6.30am and returning before 4pm or after 7pm can save £11.60 as their total fare is reduced from £26.80 to £15.20, it added.
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “Contactless ticketing means passengers will benefit from simpler, more flexible journeys and the price of most one-way tickets will remain the same or even lower.
“We’re aligning our ticketing with London’s ‘Best Price Promise’ to make it more convenient for passengers so they can be confident they’re getting the best fare on the day of travel.”