Contactless Payments to Launch on Stansted Route from March 8

Passengers travelling between London and Stansted Airport – as well as several key commuter towns in Essex – will be able to use contactless bank cards to pay for train journeys from Sunday 8 March.

The move is expected to reduce the number of passengers receiving £100 penalty fares for travelling with incorrect tickets. However, Oyster cards will remain invalid for travel to and from Stansted Airport and the other newly added stations.

The airport and 19 additional stations had originally been due to join the contactless network last December, but the rollout was delayed due to technical integration issues between Greater Anglia and Transport for London (TfL) fare systems.

How Contactless Will Work

Contactless ticketing allows passengers to tap in and out using a bank card or device linked to Apple Pay or Google Pay, removing the need to buy paper or digital tickets in advance.

Passengers will pay the standard peak or off-peak single fare automatically, depending on the time of travel. An adult single on the Stansted Express currently costs £23 at peak times and £21 off-peak.

Daily and weekly fare capping will apply to TfL services within London, such as the Tube and buses. However, passengers travelling during the evening peak (4pm–7pm) could pay more than if they had purchased a Day Travelcard, as evening peak restrictions do not apply to Travelcards.

Concessionary travel passes and group discounts cannot be used with contactless.

Oyster Card Still Not Valid

Despite the expansion, the boundaries of TfL’s Oyster card network remain unchanged. Oyster cards cannot be used at any of the 20 newly added stations, including Stansted Airport.

On Greater Anglia services from Liverpool Street, Oyster remains valid only as far as Shenfield and Hertford East.

The delay to the scheme was attributed to the complexity of integrating Greater Anglia’s fare structure with TfL’s contactless system. Transport for London provided technical support for the expansion.

Martin Beable, Managing Director of Greater Anglia, said:

“We are pleased to be able to confirm that pay as you go contactless ticketing will be introduced at a further 20 stations from March 8, making travel across our network simpler and more flexible for customers.

“This extension is another important step in modernising ticketing on the railway, allowing passengers to tap in and out and pay for the journeys they make, while improving the overall experience for those travelling into and out of London.”

The rollout forms part of the Government’s wider programme to simplify rail ticketing across the South-East.