Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to extend smart ticketing.

The Government is delivering on its ambition to overhaul ticketing for passengers and get more people on the railway. We have committed to expanding Pay As You Go (PAYG) with contactless ticketing to further stations in the South East, with an additional 49 stations to be rolled out this year. Additionally, PAYG pilots have been announced in both Manchester and the West Midlands, expanding PAYG to more than 90 additional rail stations, which are due to be launched in 2026. We are also launching trials on digital PAYG, to explore further smart ticketing initiatives.