Contactless smart cards are being progressively introduced to replace paper ticketing on the National Rail system of Britain. The first large scale adoption for transit in Britain has been the Transport for London Oystercard. This uses a proprietary encoding developed by Cubic Transportation Systems.[1] Intially it was only available on the London Underground, but it has been progressively rolled out to National Rail services in and around Greater London.
The ITSO standard has been developed as a national standard to cover all types of public transport. It has been included as a requirement by the Department for Transport for all new rail franchises in the last few years. It is also the format that ENCTS concessionary passes are required to be issued in.
Regions of England that have had bodies created to implement smart ticketing include North East England (NESTI), South West England (SWSAL) and Yorkshire and the Humber (Yorcard).
The Oystercard system is not compatible with ITSO at present.[2] However, there is a project underway to make the Oystercard system compatible with ITSO.[3]
As of 09 December 2011, the acceptance position is:
Operator | Season tickets | Pay-as-you-Go | Single & Return tickets | Concessionary passes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arriva Trains Wales | None | None | None | Wolverhampton to Birmingham International (Network West Midlands ENCTS)[4] Bidston to Heswall (Merseyside ENCTS)[5] Stockport to Manchester Oxford Road (TfGM ENCTS) |
c2c | London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Rainham (Oyster)[6] | London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Grays (Oyster)[6] | None | London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Rainham (Freedom Pass)[7] |
Chiltern Railways | London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Oyster)[6] Projected: Dorridge to Kidderminster (The Key ITSO)[8] |
London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Oyster)[6] | None | London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Freedom Pass)[7] Dorridge to Kidderminster (Network West Midlands ENCTS)[4] |
CrossCountry | Basingstone to Bournemouth ; Nottingham to Sheffield (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) | None | Basingstone to Bournemouth (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) Projected: Nottingham to Sheffield (Stagecoach Smart ITSO)) |
Coventry to Wolverhampton (Network West Midlands ENCTS)[4] Sheffield to Doncaster (Travel South Yorkshire ENCTS) |
East Coast | London Kings Cross to BZ6 (Oyster) ¶ | None | None | None[9] |
East Midlands Trains | London St Pancras to BZ6 (Oyster) ¶ London St Pancras to Sheffield (not at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Attenborough, Spondon, Langley Mill or Dronfield); Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse (not at Newstead) (Stagecoach Smart ITSO)[10] |
None | Projected: London St Pancras to Sheffield (not at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Attenborough, Spondon, Langley Mill or Dronfield); Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse (not at Newstead) (Stagecoach Smart ITSO)[10] | [9] Hazel Grove to Irlam (TfGM ENCTS) Dore to Doncaster (Travel South Yorkshire ENCTS) |
First Capital Connect | Coulsdon South to Elstree & Borehamwood, Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Oyster)[6] | East Croydon to Elstree & Borehamwood, Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Oyster)[6] Projected: Elstree & Borehamwood to St. Albans City (Oyster) [11] |
None | Coulsdon South to Elstree & Borehamwood, Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Freedom Pass)[7] |
First Great Western | Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Oyster)[6] Upwey to Weymouth (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) Worcester Foregate Street to Worcester Shrub Hill (The Key ITSO) |
Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Oyster)[6] Projected: West Drayton to Slough (Oyster))[11] |
Upwey to Weymouth (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) | Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Freedom Pass)[7][9] |
First ScotRail | Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High (Scotrail Smartcard ITSO)[12] | None | None | None |
First TransPennine Express | None | None | None | Bolton to Stalybridge and Stockport (TfGM ENCTS) Sheffield to Doncaster (Travel South Yorkshire ENCTS) |
Gatwick Express | London Victoria to BZ6 (Oyster) ¶ | None | None | None[9] |
Grand Central Railway | None | None | None | None[9] |
Heathrow Connect | London Paddington to Hayes & Harlington (Oyster)[6] | London Paddington to Hayes & Harlington (Oyster)[6] | None | London Paddington to Hayes & Harlington (Freedom Pass)[7] |
Heathrow Express | None | None | None | None[9] |
Hull Trains | None | None | None | None[9] |
London Midland | London Euston to Watford Junction (Oyster) [6] Worcester to Kidderminster (The Key ITSO) Projected: Kidderminster to Dorridge and Stratford-upon-Avon (The Key ITSO)[8] |
London Euston to Watford Junction (Oyster)[6] | None | London Euston to Harrow & Wealdstone (Freedom Pass)[7] Coventry to Wolverhampton; Blake Street to Longbridge; Dorridge and Earlswood to Stourbridge Junction; Birmingham New Street to Bloxwich North (Network West Midlands ENCTS)[4] |
London Overground | All stations (Oyster)[6] | All stations (Oyster)[6] | None | All stations (Freedom Pass)[7] |
London Underground | All stations (Oyster)[6] | All stations (Oyster)[6] | None | All stations (Freedom Pass)[7] |
Merseyrail | Projected: All stations (Walrus ITSO) [13] | Projected: All stations (Walrus ITSO) [13] | None | All stations (Merseyside ENCTS)[5] |
National Express East Anglia | London Liverpool Street to Turkey Street, Enfield Lock and Harold Wood (Oyster) [6] | London Liverpool Street to Turkey Street, Enfield Lock and Harold Wood (Oyster)[6] Projected: Harold Wood to Shenfield; Turkey Street and Enfield Lock to Cheshunt & Hertford East (Oyster)[11] |
None | London Liverpool Street to Turkey Street, Enfield Lock and Harold Wood (Freedom Pass)[7] |
Northern Rail | Projected: Newcastle to Sunderland (Popcard ITSO)[14] Projected: Liverpool Lime Street to Garswood, Hough Green and Newton-le-Willows; Kirkby to Rainford; Southport to Meols Cop (Walrus ITSO)[13] |
Projected: Liverpool Lime Street to Garswood, Hough Green and Newton-le-Willows; Kirkby to Rainford; Southport to Meols Cop (Walrus ITSO)[13] | None | Liverpool Lime Street to Garswood, Hough Green and Newton-le-Willows; Kirkby to Rainford; Southport to Meols Cop (Merseyside ENCTS)[5] Dore and Kiveton Park to Penistone, Darton, Thurnscoe, Adwick, Thorne North and Thorne South (Travel South Yorkshire ENCTS) |
Southern | London Bridge and London Victoria to Ewell East, Coulsdon South and Upper Warlingham; Clapham Junction to Watford Junction (Oyster)[6] Brighton to Seaford (The Key ITSO)[15] Eastleigh to Southampton Central (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) |
London Bridge and London Victoria to Ewell East, Coulsdon South and Upper Warlingham; Clapham Junction to Watford Junction (Oyster)[6] | Eastleigh to Southampton Central (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) | London Bridge and London Victoria to Ewell East, Coulsdon South and Upper Warlingham; Clapham Junction to Harrow & Wealdstone (Freedom Pass)[7] |
Southeastern | City Thameslink, London Charing Cross and London Victoria to Slade Green, Barnehurst, Crayford, St. Mary Cray and Knockholt (Oyster)[6] | City Thameslink, London Charing Cross and London Victoria to Slade Green, Barnehurst, Crayford, St. Mary Cray and Knockholt (Oyster)[6] Projected: Slade Green, Barnehurst and Crayford to Dartford (Oyster)[11] |
None | City Thameslink, London Charing Cross and London Victoria to Dartford, Swanley and Knockholt(Freedom Pass)[7][9] |
South West Trains | London Waterloo to Feltham, Hampton, Surbiton, Hampton Court, Chessington South and Ewell West (Oyster)[6] Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside and Wokingham ; Woking to Alton, Havant, Honiton, Lymington Pier and Weymouth; Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin (Stagecoach Smart ITSO) [16] |
London Waterloo to Feltham, Hampton, Surbiton, Hampton Court, Chessington South and Ewell West (Oyster)[6] Projected: Hampton to Shepperton (Oyster)[11] |
Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside and Wokingham ; Woking to Alton, Havant, Honiton, Lymington Pier and Weymouth; Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin (Stagecoach Smart ITSO)[16] | London Waterloo to Feltham, Hampton, Surbiton, Hampton Court, Chessington South and Ewell West (Freedom Pass)[7] |
Tyne & Wear Metro | Proposed: All stations (Popcard ITSO)[14] | Proposed: All stations (Popcard ITSO)[14] | None | None |
Virgin Trains | Euston to Watford Junction (Oyster) ¶ | None | None | [9] Coventry to Wolverhampton (Network West Midlands ENCTS)[4] |
¶ Only valid in combination with a paper single or return ticket