First cashless line?

[telstarbox]

Which will be the first cashless railway line in the UK - i.e. cash not accepted at ticket offices, TVMs, guard for onboard sales, or Penalty Fares?

Does this already apply to the Elizabeth line?

 

[Hadders]

Cash is a valid method of payment on all National Rail services, inclusing the ELizabeth Line.

There are no plans to change this.

 

[Kilopylae]

Oddly, it will probably be one of the heritage railways, right? As they are under less of an obligation to accept cash.

 

[plugwash]

If tramways running partly on fomer rail infrastructure count, London Trams are already "cashless" in the sense that if you want to pay with cash you have to load it on an oyster card, and afaict most tram stops do not have any oyster retail facilities.

 

[telstarbox]

Cash is a valid method of payment on all National Rail services, inclusing the ELizabeth Line.

There are no plans to change this.

Is that a National Rail obligation or can TOCs decide to have card-only stations - I know Northern have some stations with card-only machines?

 

[duncanp]

Is that a National Rail obligation or can TOCs decide to have card-only stations - I know Northern have some stations with card-only machines?

It is part of the National Rail Conditions of Travel that cash must be accepted for all National Rail stations.

If the station has a card only machine, with no other ticket selling facilities, then you can get on the train without penalty and pay on the train, or at your destination.

Of course, this doesn't stop some TOCs from assuming that someone who wants to pay with cash at their destination is trying it on and attempting to avoid paying the fare.

The railways are making it more difficult for people to pay with cash, and will no doubt slip in a surreptitious change to the Conditions of Travel when they hope no-one notices.

 

[GardenRail]

Oddly, it will probably be one of the heritage railways, right? As they are under less of an obligation to accept cash.

Then there'll be that comedy moment, when the card readers fail, and they beg people to pay cash.....