Contactless to milton keynes ?

[YourMum666]

Should the contactless belt be extended to Milton Keynes Central on the WCML?

 

[Intercity110]

Why MK, why not northampton?

 

[hexagon789]

Why not Kyle of Lochalsh?

 

[JonathanH]

Should the contactless belt be extended to Milton Keynes Central on the WCML?

It may well be.

Project Oval: TfL win DfT contract to expand contactless system to 233 rail stations by May 2024, Railcards coming to contactless payment cards

TfL have won the DfT's contract to expand their contactless payment system to 233 rail stations by May 2024, which also includes the requirement to allow Railcards and concessionary discounts to be added to contactless payment cards Phase 1 Contactless payments in 53 stations – majority due...

www.railforums.co.uk

Note that there are winners and losers likely if it is extended to Milton Keynes, and the existing fare structure is abolished.

 

[YourMum666]

It may well be.

Project Oval: TfL win DfT contract to expand contactless system to 233 rail stations by May 2024, Railcards coming to contactless payment cards

TfL have won the DfT's contract to expand their contactless payment system to 233 rail stations by May 2024, which also includes the requirement to allow Railcards and concessionary discounts to be added to contactless payment cards Phase 1 Contactless payments in 53 stations – majority due...

www.railforums.co.uk

Note that there are winners and losers likely if it is extended to Milton Keynes, and the existing fare structure is abolished.

I just find it inconsistent that you can get as far as shenfield,reading and even Welwyn, but only go as far as watford on the west coast

 

[JonathanH]

I just find it inconsistent that you can get as far as shenfield,reading and even Welwyn, but only go as far as watford on the west coast

Yes, that is what Project Oval is about. I note that Milton Keynes is somewhat further out from London than any of those places though.

Milton Keynes is just under 50 miles from London, Reading is 36 miles, Shenfield and Welwyn about 20 miles and Watford about 17 miles, so not really inconsistent at all.

 

[Purple Train]

I just find it inconsistent that you can get as far as shenfield,reading and even Welwyn, but only go as far as watford on the west coast

Milton Keynes is roughly the same distance from London as Colchester on the Great Eastern, Didcot Parkway on the Great Western, St Neots on the East Coast, and Brighton on the Southern. So Watford isn't all that dissimilar to the other boundaries.

 

[YourMum666]

Yes, that is what Project Oval is about. I note that Milton Keynes is somewhat further out from London than any of those places though.

Milton Keynes is just under 50 miles from London, Reading is 36 miles, Shenfield and Welwyn about 20 miles and Watford about 17 miles, so not really inconsistent at all.

how about tring ?

 

[JonathanH]

how about tring ?

What about Tring? It is 31 miles from Euston.

There is some suggestion in this post that Contactless could be extended to Tring in the first wave of Project Oval - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...less-payment-cards.231684/page-8#post-6091028 - but the expansion of Contactless involves installation of new infrastructure, as noted here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ess-payment-cards.231684/page-10#post-6145384.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Should the contactless belt be extended to Milton Keynes Central on the WCML?

Yes, and onwards to Long Buckby, the classic NSE commuter area boundary.

Basically it should cover the majority of the Network Railcard area, though it's perhaps not essential to go past Bournemouth/Salisbury.

Yes, that is what Project Oval is about. I note that Milton Keynes is somewhat further out from London than any of those places though.

It should certainly go to Oxford, which is slightly further out.

Does it go to Bedford? That's further out than MK. If not it should; all of Thameslink is a natural boundary.

The places it should cover are basically "places where day trips to London are common and where the use of Advance fares for those trips is minimal", which is basically the whole NSE area.

 

[JonathanH]

Basically it should cover the majority of the Network Railcard area, though it's perhaps not essential to go past Bournemouth/Salisbury.

The thing is that whereever you draw the line, you run into issues where it would be useful to have Contactless beyond that point for local journeys.

I note the travel to London market dominates travel in the South East and should dictate the boundary, but arguably it would be an anomaly to be able to use Contactless from Bletchley to Milton Keynes, but not Wolverton to Milton Keynes.

However, somewhere up the line, Birmingham becomes the focal point of journeys, with perhaps its own Contactless area in time. There comes a point where you need to have a 'firebreak'.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The thing is that whereever you draw the line, you run into issues where it would be useful to have Contactless beyond that point for local journeys.

I note the travel to London market dominates travel in the South East and should dictate the boundary, but arguably it would be an anomaly to be able to use Contactless from Bletchley to Milton Keynes, but not Wolverton to Milton Keynes.

Hence why it should go to Long Buckby.

However, somewhere up the line, Birmingham becomes the focal point of journeys, with perhaps its own Contactless area in time. There comes a point where you need to have a 'firebreak'.

A fully national scheme would be preferable, but absent this at least the SE scheme should encompass the NSE area. It's like that for a reason!