FAIRTIQ to Power Modern, Innovative Digital pay as you go Ticketing Trial Under UK Government’s Plan for Rail

Written by Laurent Widmer | PR | August 19, 2025

Bern, 19 August 2025 – FAIRTIQ, the Swiss-based specialist, digital pay as you go (DPAYG) ticketing supplier, has been selected to deliver a trial launching in the coming weeks under the UK government’s Plan for Rail reform. The nine-month trial aims to simplify ticketing, enhance the passenger experience, and encourage more people to travel by public transport. If successful, FAIRTIQ technology could be considered for broader deployment – across cities, regions or even nationwide – not only on the rail network, but also on buses, trams, subways, and ferries, mirroring similar rollouts in Denmark, Switzerland, France, and Germany.

Working in partnership with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and Northern Trains supported by TransPennine Express and Arriva CrossCountry, FAIRTIQ technology will be tested on the Sheffield - Doncaster route in South Yorkshire to explore how smart, mobile-first ticketing can make rail travel more accessible, transparent and simple.

“We are delighted to bring FAIRTIQ’s proven technology to the UK rail network,” said Steve Broadley, UK Market Lead at FAIRTIQ. “By removing complexity from ticketing, we can make it easier and more appealing for people to take the train – benefiting passengers, operators, and the environment.”

FAIRTIQ’s award-winning system, already used by millions of passengers in Europe, allows travellers to start and end their journey with one simple swipe, with the best available fare calculated automatically. This trial will gather valuable passenger feedback and journey data to help shape the future of UK ticketing.

“FAIRTIQ began in Switzerland, where we created a solution that lets passengers travel seamlessly across trains, buses, trams, ferries, and even gondolas with a single swipe,” said Gian-Mattia Schucan, Founder and co-CEO at FAIRTIQ. “Passengers value the peace of mind—no risk of buying the wrong ticket and always getting the best available fare.”

Running for nine months, the trial will allow up to 1,000 passengers to experience FAIRTIQ’s award-winning mobile app, which uses GPS to detect journeys and ensure that travellers automatically pay the best-value fare. Interested users can apply on Northern’s website: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/pay-as-you-go.

Press picture
Press picture Northern

Slovakia and Norway
You can find further press releases about a launch in Slovakia and in Norway here: https://fairtiq.com/en/press-releases

About FAIRTIQ
With over 250 million trips completed, FAIRTIQ has established itself as the global leader and pioneer in postpaid ticketing and digital pay-as-you-go solutions (DPAYG). Serving more than 1 million active users each month, FAIRTIQ operates currently in nine countries—Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. The platform provides regional coverage in 25 areas and national coverage in four, making public transport more accessible and user-friendly. Leading public transport operators and authorities rely on the FAIRTIQ solution - for instance, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) integrates FAIRTIQ’s technology within its own app under the name EasyRide. FAIRTIQ’s rapid international expansion continues to attract new users worldwide.

How does FAIRTIQ work
Passengers download the app, start it with one swipe before entering the means of transport and receive a valid ticket without having to enter their destination. When changing trains or buses, the app automatically recognises the change and continues to monitor the journey. When the passenger arrives at the destination, they simply swipe to end the journey. If they forget, the app sends a notification or automatically ends the journey. The best available fare is then automatically calculated, and optimised on a daily basis.

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