Rail passengers travelling between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham can now trial a 'groundbreaking' digital system that the government claims will offer simpler and more flexible tickets.

From 1 September 2025, passengers taking part in the trial can check in and check out on rail journeys using a location-identifying app on their phone which tracks journeys using GPS technology and automatically charges the best fare at the end of the day. To pass through barriers, a unique barcode appears in the app to be scanned.

The trial runs throughout September, with the government planning additional trials in partnership with Northern Trains in Yorkshire from late September on services to Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley. Up to 1,000 passengers will participate across four routes, with each trial running for nine months.

The technology eliminates paper tickets or mobile QR code tickets bought online or in-app ahead of travel. The government emphasises that the technology removes the need to plan and book journeys in advance, as the app tracks routes and trains taken while detecting when passengers leave the rail network.

This technology has already been tested widely in Switzerland, Denmark and Scotland, marking the first time these trials are being implemented on England's rail network. The government has provided almost £1 million in funding for the trials, which form part of its plans to modernise the transport system and encourage greater rail use.

Northern passengers are already embracing modern ticketing, with 78 per cent using mobile tickets monthly on average. In June 2024, Northern reported that growing preference for mobile tickets amongst passengers led to a reduction of 2.3 million orange "magstripe" tickets over the previous 12 months.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said the trials were part of the government's efforts to improve passenger experience, modernise fares and make rail travel simpler. "The railway ticketing system is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century," he added. "Through these trials, we're doing just that and making buying tickets more convenient, more accessible and more flexible."

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