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Rail operators adopt smart ticketing to improve passenger experience, cut costs, streamline processes, and access data analytics to inform future planning.
Rail operators are shifting from old-fashioned paper ticketing and outdated back-end systems to digital tap on, tap off smart ticketing. This move is being, spurred by customer demand for a frictionless travel experience and a move towards more efficient, data-driven operations.
Smart ticketing benefits both the customer and operator.
Customer benefits:
• lower fares
• easier journeys
• flexible payment options
• instant refunds
• transparent compensation
• improved customer experience
Rail operator benefits:
• reduced costs
• lower barriers to ridership
• passenger trust
• streamlined administration
• rich real-time data to inform service and fare planning.
Proof Points: The Trend Towards Smart Ticketing
In the UK, an increasing number of rail operators are adopting smart ticketing to streamline processes and future-proof networks.
Almost half a million people in the UK made a train journey using Tracsis smart ticketing technology in the year to February. The number of journeys we facilitated more than tripled to 6.3 million in the same period, up from 2.09 million in the 12 months to February 2025.
As a result of our valued collaborations with leading rail operators such as Transport for Wales (TfW), Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Merseyrail, one in five UK rail stations is tapped in to Tracsis smart ticketing.
Our RDG-accredited smart ticketing rail technology has:
• supported millions of passenger journeys
• covered £560 million+ ($750 million+) in revenue
• processed 7.5 million+ automated refunds
• been proven to halve processing costs
• handled peaks of 25,000 claims per day
How Does Smart Ticketing Work?
Tracsis smart ticketing rail technology transforms Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) travel by simplifying ticketing and fare calculations.
An account-based engine replaces fragmented legacy systems with one digital platform. The Tracsis system automatically applies the best value fare for each journey and supports all payment types: contactless, mobile and advance, while delivering location-based smart ticketing that removes the need for paper tickets, pre-paid QR codes, and time spent searching for the best fares.
Smart Ticketing: Key Benefits
· Improved Customer Experience: passengers enjoy smart, flexible travel, paying the lowest possible fares, without pre-paid tickets or barriers. If a refund is required, it’s fast and hassle-free.
· Unified real-time data for better decision-making and planning: Every transaction feeds into planning and revenue analytics, giving rail operators the visibility to make confident, evidence-based decisions. Ticketing data is transformed into real operational insights. From rail to metro to bus, the platform brings multi-modal data together to show how services connect and perform. Operators can track dwell times, review interchanges, and understand how fare changes affect ridership and revenue, all through one connected analytics layer that supports smarter planning and growth.
· Reduced administrative overheads: Used daily by leading rail operators, the Tracsis smart ticketing platform processes hundreds of millions of pounds in ticketing revenue annually and has been proven to halve processing costs.
Tracsis Rail Technology: Proven in the Field
Six Train Operating Companies (TOCs) on the UK’s National Rail network are already utilising Tracsis’ PAYG technology, Tap Converter, which aligns with the UK Government’s vision for a modernised rail network with a simplified ticketing system.
In 2025, Tracsis received a multi-year contract from Rail Settlement Plan, a division of Rail Delivery Group, to deploy the Tap Converter system on National Rail.
The Tap Converter system will process tap data from smartcards, contactless bankcards, and mobile apps, integrating with various transport modes, to facilitate London-style PAYG ticketing for rail, bus, and tram travel. Development of the Tap Converter system has commenced, with deployment and revenue generation scheduled to begin in 2026.
Tracsis at Forefront of Transformation: The Leeds-Harrogate Trial
Tracsis is one of four leading suppliers currently taking part in a trial of smart ticketing systems (DPAYG) on the UK rail network. The Tracsis platform HOPSTA is being trialled on Northern’s Leeds-Harrogate line in Yorkshire, enabling seamless GPS-based ticketing.
The trial started in September 2025 and will run for nine months, testing intuitive smartphone-based tech that uses GPS to track journeys and automatically apply the lowest available fare. The app records travel activity, identifies the trains taken, and detects when passengers leave the rail network.
This type of technology is already utilised in Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland, where it is used on buses and trams, demonstrating the versatility of PAYG smart ticketing in a multi-modal environment.
Simon Critchley, Chief Commercial Officer, Tracsis, said Tracsis’ participation in the Digital Pay-As-You-Go trial underscored the group’s commitment to advancing rail technology. “HOPSTA offers passengers a seamless, fare-optimised travel experience without the need for pre-purchased tickets,” Simon explained. “This initiative aligns with our broader vision of integrating innovative solutions across the UK's transport networks, enhancing both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction."
Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said: "We’re bringing ticketing into the 21st century. These trials are modernising fares and ticketing, making it simpler and easier for people to choose rail.”
Insights from the Leeds-Harrogate trial will inform decisions on broader, permanent deployment of DPAYG in the UK.
Tracsis and Transport for Wales (TfW)
Tracsis PAYG tap on, tap off technology was implemented in South Wales in November 2024. A year later, the system hit two million rail journeys, confirming its status as Transport for Wales’ fastest growing ticketing product.
Since going fully live in January 2025, the Tracsis-developed smart ticketing platform has delivered 3.5 million rail journeys across 94 stations, and is on track to be rolled out to North Wales in 2026.
TfW was the first UK train operator outside of London and the South -East to introduce this innovative rail technology.
The TfW PAYG platform won Product & Service of the Year at the Spotlight Rail Awards and has been recognised for Best Smart Ticketing Pilot (with Vix Technology) and Best Smart Ticketing Programme – Single Operator or Authority (Fewer than 500k Daily Journeys) at the prestigious Transport Ticketing Global Awards.
Alexia Course, Chief Commercial Officer at Transport for Wales, said: "It's great to see so many customers embracing this convenient and simple way of travelling. “When we talk about improving the customer experience, ‘tap on, tap off’ ticketing is exactly what we mean. It’s making rail travel faster, fairer, and more accessible, which is driving both customer satisfaction and revenue growth for the network.”
Tracsis and Merseyrail
Tracsis smart ticketing technology went live on Merseyrail in February, enabling passengers in Liverpool and surrounding areas to tap on and tap off with their bank cards, phones and watches.
In 2025, Merseyrail launched a MetroCard which could be linked to a bank account for tapping in and out of stations without the need to buy a paper ticket. This year’s launch took the system to the next level for frictionless travel.
Merseyside residents now benefit from an easier, more convenient commute, while Merseyrail can harness real-time analytics to inform strategic decision-making and planning for the future of the network.
Find out more about our market-leading smart ticketing solutions.