Ticketless train travel is set to be launched for the first time in the UK as part of a digital trial.
Rail passengers in Yorkshire have been invited to take part in the scheme which will remove the need for them to buy tickets.
Travellers can sign up for digital rail ticket trials on East Midlands Railway and Northern trains.
People travelling on Northern services between Leeds and Harrogate will be able to download an app from today which will track their journey and charge them the lowest possible fare at the end of the day.
For ticket inspections and to go through ticket barriers, a unique bar code will appear.
The Department for Transport said it was ‘bringing ticketing into the 21st century’.
Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: ‘These trials are modernising fares and ticketing, making it simpler and easier for people to choose rail.
‘As part of our Plan for Change, we’re delivering straightforward, stress-free train travel across the north, supporting passengers and boosting economic growth, jobs and homes.’
People travelling on Northern services between Leeds and Harrogate will be able to download an app from today. Pictured: A Northern train in the Leeds area
The trial will also be rolled out on Northern trains between Sheffield and Doncaster on October 27 and the operator’s Sheffield to Barnsley services on November 24.
The scheme has begun this month – and rail passengers travelling between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham have already been able to take part, with Northern Trains now set to join in.
The Government said the initial pilot of the scheme in the East Midlands had been successful.
Alex Hornby, customer and commercial manager at Northern, said: ‘We’re proud to be at the forefront of simplifying rail travel for our customers in the North.
‘These trials mark a significant step forward in making train journeys simpler, smarter and more flexible whether for work, leisure or everyday journeys.’
Passengers will be given £15 worth of free travel for taking part.
Northern passengers are already moving to modern ticketing, with January figures showing Northern hit a monthly average of almost 78 per cent usage of mobile tickets and reached a single-day high of 89 per cent.
In June last year, Northern reported the growing preference for mobile tickets amongst its passengers had led to a reduction of 2.3 million orange ‘magstripe’ tickets across the previous 12 months.
This technology replaces the need for paper tickets or more commonly used mobile tickets using QR codes bought online or in-app ahead of your journey, the GOV.UK website explains.
Without the need to plan and book journeys in advance, the app tracks your journey and determines which trains you took, detecting when you’ve left the rail network.
Up to 4,000 passengers can take part in these trials by simply signing up via the relevant train operator’s website, taking advantage of simpler and more flexible train travel, and a guarantee of the best value fare on the day.
This technology has already been tested widely in Switzerland, Denmark and Scotland, however this marks the first time these trials are being brought to England’s rail network.
