Airport railway stations to accept contactless

Stansted and Southend airport railway stations will introduce contactless payments for rail travel starting next month. The tap-in tap-out ticketing system will be implemented at barriers, excluding the Cambridge to Stansted route. London Travelwatch estimated that thousands faced fines annually at Stansted for lacking tickets. Rail minister Lord Hendy stated that the current ticketing system is outdated and needs modernization. He emphasized that the expansion of contactless technology will improve convenience and accessibility for passengers.

This initiative aligns with a broader £18. 7 million investment from the Department for Transport for upgrading ticketing across 50 stations in the southeast. Other stations benefiting from this upgrade include Chelmsford and Stevenage. Passengers are advised to remain vigilant to avoid overcharges, as Oyster cards remain unusable for tap-out at the airports.