Contactless train tickets rollout questioned by MP

A Surrey MP has written to the Minister for Rail, Lord Hendy, to ask for clarity on the rollout of a contactless payment system at the county's railway stations.

Chris Coghlan, the Liberal Democrat MP for Dorking and Horley, told BBC Radio Surrey that he wanted to know why some stations had not been included in the plans, and a clear timeline for those that have.

The letter comes after eight more stations across Surrey joined the rollout scheme on 2 February.

A spokesperson from the Department for Transport (DfT) said: "We recently announced that throughout 2025 contactless ticketing will be rolled out at Dorking, Box Hill and Westhumble, Reigate and Leatherhead stations, and we are looking at the next phase of the rollout across the country."

The latest stations to receive the contactless payment system are Ashford (Surrey), Staines, Egham, Virginia Water, Kempton Park, Sunbury, Upper Halliford and Shepperton.

The rollout had been delayed after a cyber attack, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed in September.

"It's a great scheme, it's great for convenience and reduces queues," Mr Coghlan said.

The DfT said the ticketing system was "too complicated" and that the contactless system meant passengers would be "guaranteed the best fare available" when they travel.

Mr Coghlan said: "It's quite easy to buy the wrong ticket so hopefully it should address that."

Jaqueline Starr, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group, said: "We want our customers to travel with ease with fares that reflect travellers' needs."

Passengers will still be able to continue to use pre-paid barcode and paper tickets, said the Rail Delivery Group.

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