UK East Midlands Railway Trials GPS-Based Ticketless Travel

A new pay-as-you-go rail ticketing system using GPS location tracking is being trialled on routes between Leicester, Derby, and Nottingham by East Midlands Railway, with further trials planned in Yorkshire on Northern Rail services. This digital ticketing app allows passengers to check in and out of journeys without paper or traditional mobile tickets by automatically calculating the best fare at the end of the day based on journey data. The technology, already tested in countries like Switzerland, Denmark, and Scotland, aims to simplify the complex fare system, save passengers money and time, and modernize rail ticketing in the UK. Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy emphasized that the railway ticketing system is overdue for an upgrade to make buying tickets more convenient and accessible. Over 500 passengers have already registered interest in the trial, which could eventually replace paper and QR-code mobile tickets. Separately, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Trainline's ads claiming to offer the lowest prices were misleading, leading the company to remove the ads and clarify its pricing promises.