Overview
What is Smart Ticketing?
Our Smart Ticketing project is a strategic programme made up of a number of projects funded from different sources, with the aim of making it easy to pay for public transport journeys with smart and contactless technology.
This will encourage more people to travel sustainably via public transport, and support sustainable economic growth.
We’ll make sure that our services and payment facilities meet with consumer expectations by investing in new technologies based on an understanding of what customers want. The devolution deal for North East England and the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan both provide opportunities to invest in smart payment development.
- We’ll extend the benefits of smart travel to all modes of public transport, making it easier for customers to switch between bus, Metro, rail and ferry.
- We’ll give customers confidence they’re getting the best value fare for their trip, no matter how many different types of transport they use.
- We’ll work in partnership with transport operators and local authorities to achieve this.
- We’ll engage with a diverse range of customer groups to make sure our payment offer meets their needs.
Simpler and more affordable
What's changing?
The project is made up of the following initiatives:
- Simplifying fares
- Improving ticket machines
- Introducing Pop 2.0: implementing a price cap covering all modes of travel
- Upgrading our smartcard readers
- Extending the mobile solution for tapping in/out
- Installing new gatelines for additional security
- Enabling tap in/out with your bank card across modes
Progress update
How's it going?
Multi-modal contactless bank card travel across operators
We’re looking at the option of allowing customers to ‘tap in’ and ‘tap out’ using any valid bank card or device. This would allow customers to travel at the best value fare across all modes of travel, with the system calculating the cost and the fare being collected from the customer’s account overnight.
Metro ticket machines
As more customers choose digital tickets and fewer people buy with cash, the need for ticket machines has significantly reduced. We’re converting more Metro ticket machines to card-only operation to ease maintenance and improve reliability, while still giving customers the option to pay in cash at all stations.
Pop 2.0
We’re creating a new digital system that paves the way for a multi-modal pay-as-you-go (PAYG) travel pass on phones and cards through seamless contact across different operators’ systems. For the first time, Pop will be valid across more modes of transport and the daily price cap will be extended to local bus and Shields Ferry journeys. This will allow greater flexibility for customers and make the cheapest fares more accessible.
Pop PAYG on all devices
We’re working with other main digital wallet providers to bring Pop PAYG to iPhones, which will mean that 99% of all devices can be used for travelling on Metro.
Extending Pop to cover regional rail services
Our collaborative work in introducing joint Metro and rail fares on the Northumberland Line has been such a success that the North East Mayor has requested that we expand them to all rail lines in Tyne and Wear and beyond.
Simplifying Metro ticketing for young people and season ticket holders
We’re streamlining fares for all Under 22-year-olds, making it easier for customers and still meet our commercial objectives.
Upgrading our ticket and card readers
We’re upgrading our current readers and adding new ones on gatelines so that they can all accept a ‘tap’ from phones or certain bank cards. The equipment is currently being accredited, and we’re looking to complete the work by the end of 2026 .
New Metro ticket gates
The first new ticket gates in over ten years have been installed at Regent Centre. With funding allocated by the Mayor, the project will increase income by protecting our revenue, while reducing anti-social behaviour