Project Oval: TfL win DfT contract to expand contactless system to 233 rail stations by May 2024, Railcards coming to contactless payment cards

[Edvid]

Had a look on BR Fares and noticed that SWR created test CPAY fares for their 29 additions in progress. This includes Guildford - [Reigate - Gatwick Airport inclusive] flows for which contactless will remain invalid on direct services.

On that note, why have Virginia Water - Reading live CPAY fares (not the test fares) been priced as though they're for direct journeys for the past year? Is it because there's no ✠VIA LONDON route for that journey?

 

[MikeWh]

On that note, why have Virginia Water - Reading live CPAY fares (not the test fares) been priced as though they're for direct journeys for the past year? Is it because there's no ✠VIA LONDON route for that journey?

I'm not sure you'd ever go via London for that journey, the direct trains take 38 minutes while it's 48 minutes to Waterloo, to say nothing of the tube and the fast GWR service plus two London terminal connection times.

 

[Edvid]

Shortly before Phase 2B went live, T&R Update #158 was published with some stats on contactless usage - see page 4.

As of early February 2026, over 8.6 million contactless journeys have been recorded at the 83 stations currently live under Project Oval. The usage is broken down by the specific rollout phases:

• Initial Pilot (6 Chiltern Stations): These stations, including High Wycombe and Beaconsfield, saw over 268,000 entries and exits within their first six months of operation.
• Expansion to 53 Stations: Recorded 5.6 million journeys between the start of the rollout in June 2024 and early December 2025.
• The c2c network: reached a milestone of 3 million contactless journeys at its Essex stations as of February [2026?], with 5 major stations recording the most contactless taps; Basildon (367k), Laindon (334k), Leigh-on-Sea (329k), Benfleet (290k) and Southend Central (241k).
• Phase 2a - 30 Stations: This group went live on 14 December 2025. While total journey data for these specific stations has not yet been published as a combined figure, they were introduced to bring an estimated 11 million additional journeys into the contactless scope annually.

 

[Bread & cheese]

New validators have been put in place at Winnersh Triangle (by the entrance to the platforms) and Winnersh (by the ticket kiosk). They are not yet in service. Pictured is the one at Winnersh.

Image shows a validator shielded by a blue plastic cover. The top of the validator is about head height. On the cover is a notice reading: This validator will be in service shortly.

 

[Snow1964]

Hansard Transcript of Parliamentary session on Rail prices and contactless payments on 15th April.

Some very sensible questions by MPs asked about peak hour changes, loss of discounts for railcard holders, price increases by stealth, why some stations not yet included.

(long transcript) None of questions were really answered (almost seems DfT doesn't care or comprehend the side effects)

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-04-15/debates/98B20D0B-A45B-452D-A4EA-A3BF56CE1FEB/RailPricesContactlessPayments

 

[davews]

Interesting read but he refuses point blank to directly answer the issues:
Railcard discounts
Change of morning off-peak times
Introduction of evening peak times
Effect of these changes on existing paper tickets
Removal of super off peak fares

I see they have put a new scanner at Martins Heron, platform 1 only, currently covered over, so presumably someone knows the timescale for the next expansion?

 

[Danno]

Looks like things are progressing at Tunbridge Wells Station. The disused gas mains valve cabinet has now been removed, and two new validators have been installed in its place for the late-night exit via Platform 1. Hopefully it won’t be too long before contactless goes live.

 

[MikeWh]

I see they have put a new scanner at Martins Heron, platform 1 only, currently covered over, so presumably someone knows the timescale for the next expansion?

Looks like things are progressing at Tunbridge Wells Station. The disused gas mains valve cabinet has now been removed, and two new validators have been installed in its place for the late-night exit via Platform 1. Hopefully it won’t be too long before contactless goes live.

Both are being worked on and expected in the next phase. This will be a week or two after a fares revision where the next two are in July and November.

My map https://oysterfares.com/south-east-...overage-map-for-payg-fares-in-the-south-east/ shows the next phase in light blue.

 

[Sleepy]

Interesting read but he refuses point blank to directly answer the issues:
Railcard discounts
Change of morning off-peak times
Introduction of evening peak times
Effect of these changes on existing paper tickets
Removal of super off peak fares

I see they have put a new scanner at Martins Heron, platform 1 only, currently covered over, so presumably someone knows the timescale for the next expansion?

Digital tickets are the holy grail to Dft, everything else like railcards is a nusisance to be brushed under the carpet.

 

[MikeWh]

I think it was a shame that the department didn't send the Rail Minister Peter Hendy to answer the questions.

 

[weeklycommuter]

I think it was a shame that the department didn't send the Rail Minister Peter Hendy to answer the questions.

Lord Hendy is in the House of Lords not the House of Commons.

 

[MikeWh]

Lord Hendy is in the House of Lords not the House of Commons.

Doh, of course.

 

[JonathanH]

Some very sensible questions by MPs asked about peak hour changes, loss of discounts for railcard holders, price increases by stealth, why some stations not yet included.

Do those same MPs recognise that any reform of the fares system comes with winners and losers, and that it is overall revenue neutral? The pre-0630 off-peak provision is particularly generous, but recognition of this doesn't fill their inbox.

I do however think that there are valid concerns about the way in which this is communicated, particular where the increase is seen as a "stealth" increase.

 

[TransportHub]

Looks like things are progressing at Tunbridge Wells Station. The disused gas mains valve cabinet has now been removed, and two new validators have been installed in its place for the late-night exit via Platform 1. Hopefully it won’t be too long before contactless goes live.

Sure there are more pressing issues, but it's still a shame they didn't reuse the old cobble stones round the base of the validators, that concrete is really ugly!

 

[OneOfThe48]

why some stations not yet included.

Simultaneously saying that we do not like the extension of Contactless pay as you go fare systems and complaining that it hasn’t been extended to your stations is a bit inconsistent…

Do those same MPs recognise that any reform of the fares system comes with winners and losers, and that it is overall revenue neutral? The pre-0630 off-peak provision is particularly generous, but recognition of this doesn't fill their inbox.

Nope - we only want the benefits of fares reform and none of the downsides. They should just be transparent in saying what they really want is cheaper fares (and taxpayers to make up the difference)

Interesting read but he refuses point blank to directly answer the issues:
Railcard discounts
Change of morning off-peak times
Introduction of evening peak times
Effect of these changes on existing paper tickets
Removal of super off peak fares

These changes (railcard discounts excluded which will come eventually) are all unfortunately - albeit unfortunately depends on your opinion - necessary as part of extending the TFL contactless payment system - you either get the changes or don’t get contactless. The MPs will all know this already

What is an interesting question is whether if regular people knew that the fare changes need to accompany Contactless payments, whether they would still want it

 

[JonathanH]

These changes (railcard discounts excluded which will come eventually) are all unfortunately - that depends on your opinion - necessary as part of extending the TFL contactless payment system - you either get the changes or don’t get contactless.

Strictly, a different capping approach could feasibly exist on top of the TfL contactless system, but this clearly wasn't in the specification agreed, and somewhere else there would have to be a revenue balance to pay for it.

 

[OneOfThe48]

Strictly, a different capping approach could feasibly exist on top of the TfL contactless system, but this clearly wasn't in the specification agreed, and somewhere else there would have to be a revenue balance to pay for it.

Very broadly speaking, not if you would end up paying less by avoiding using the TfL contactless system

Advance tickets and railcards being the obvious exceptions - though I don’t think it’s lost on people that introducing railcard discounts to Contactless would lead to a large drop in revenue

 

[Goldfish62]

though I don’t think it’s lost on people that introducing railcard discounts to Contactless would lead to a large drop in revenue

It won't make any difference. People with railcards will just move from buying paper or app tickets to using Contactless. No difference in price and no revenue loss (unless capped).

 

[OneOfThe48]

It won't make any difference. People with railcards will just move from buying paper or app tickets to using Contactless. No difference in price and no revenue loss (unless capped).

The 'problem' comes when people who currently use Contactless - which is a lot - get a Railcard and link it to their contactless card to pay less than they are currently without the inconvenience of having to buy tickets each day

 

[Bletchleyite]

The 'problem' comes when people who currently use Contactless - which is a lot - get a Railcard and link it to their contactless card to pay less than they are currently without the inconvenience of having to buy tickets each day

I can't imagine many people are foresaking a substantial discount in order to avoid about 5 taps on their phone screen.

 

[JonathanH]

I can't imagine many people are foresaking a substantial discount in order to avoid about 5 taps on their phone screen.

Many journeys in the South East aren't available on a phone screen.

 

[OneOfThe48]

I can't imagine many people are foresaking a substantial discount in order to avoid about 5 taps on their phone screen.

And all the people aged between 18 and 30 within the Oyster area using a Contactless card on a train instead of an Oyster card with a railcard to get a discount in the off-peak?

 

[Adam Williams]

Don't worry, I'm sure TfL will make the process of linking a Railcard with a contactless account about as painful as possible when they eventually get around to bothering.

You'll probably have to show the Railcard to someone in person to get the request to link approved...

 

[Haywain]

You'll probably have to show the Railcard to someone in person to get the request to link approved...

But only at a carefully selected group of London Overground stations not situated on lines to central London, and at specified hours in weekdays only!

 

[Sonic1234]

I can't imagine many people are foresaking a substantial discount in order to avoid about 5 taps on their phone screen.

It's amazing what people will do for convenience. See also: the existence of Deliveroo et al.

 

[MikeWh]

But only at a carefully selected group of London Overground stations not situated on lines to central London, and at specified hours in weekdays only!

Thank the unions for that!

 

[davews]

On a personal level, until railcards are added to contactless it is a no no for me. I am sufficiently intelligent to work out and review the best options, initially with paper tickets. A travelcard to London (from Martins Heron) may be the cheapest option even if I am not using the tube as that has (at least for now) no evening peak issue. But the change in morning off peak will mean I will get half an hour less time in London - 'Paying more' is not an option as it would be a lot more as my railcard would not be valid earlier. They really want to cripple us railcard users.

 

[Danno]

Sure there are more pressing issues, but it's still a shame they didn't reuse the old cobble stones round the base of the validators, that concrete is really ugly!

Completely agree! It looks horrible. Unfortunately, the original cobblestones were removed long ago when the gas mains valve cabinet was installed there (see attached photo). They could have corrected it when the new validators were installed by adding new cobblestones, but I guess aesthetics weren’t really a priority for Network Rail, Southeastern, the council, or whoever is responsible.

 

[Hadders]

The 'problem' comes when people who currently use Contactless - which is a lot - get a Railcard and link it to their contactless card to pay less than they are currently without the inconvenience of having to buy tickets each day

You can’t link a railcard to a contactless card.

Notionally paper tickets (so you can obtain a railcard discount) in the Oval area have the same restrictions as using a contactless card but in practice there are significant differences.

 

[MikeWh]

You can’t link a railcard to a contactless card.

I'm pretty sure he knows that. He's suggesting that when railcards do eventually get added to contactless there will be a significant drop in revenue. I don't share his view on that as I don't believe many people with a railcard (or eligible for one) would use contactless just because it's convenient.

In my own case, unless I'm testing stuff out, it's my railcard discounted Oyster between 0430-0630, contactless 0630-0930, and 60+ Oyster after that.