Transport User Voice August 2024 – Cash on the railway

01 August 2024

Ticketing in a digital society

In this day and age, a move towards a cashless society may seem inevitable, but for some, is cash still king?

Alongside last week’s reports of a surprise jump in the number of people mainly using cash for day-to-day spending, our latest report examines station ticket sales data alongside deprivation data.

It shows that on average, almost one in three transactions are made with cash in the most deprived areas.

This highlights the need to ensure the railway accessible to all – making sure no one is left behind. During last year’s proposed ticket office closure – now withdrawn – where Transport Focus and London TravelWatch received more than 750,000 responses, there was much talk of changing purchase habits and switching to digital ticketing. For some, this seems inevitable, however there are many who have voiced their concerns.

What are passengers saying?

Among those we heard from in our consultation, passengers said:

“…I believe this will have a negative impact on disabled people, older people and low-income people who may be more likely to use cash to purchase tickets. I myself am trying to use cash more as a means of budgeting and this proposal will cause me difficulties.”

“I am writing to you on behalf of my 82-year-old neighbour, he doesn’t have internet, he doesn’t have a smart phone, he doesn’t have a credit card preferring to use cash saying you know where you are when you pay for things as you go along.”

Key findings

In almost all stations in the most deprived areas, at least 20 percent of ticket purchases were made with cash, while cash usage was on average double that of the least deprived areas. Geographically speaking, cash usage was proportionally higher in deprived areas of the North, than in the South.

Recommendations

In developing their retail strategy, Great British Railways should:

• Keep cash in place: Where cash is already a payment option at a station, this should be maintained, so people can continue to access the best deals using Railcards and Advance tickets, which are not available to purchase on trains.
• Consider allowing shops to sell tickets: Enable high street retailers, such as supermarkets, newsagents and post offices to sell rail tickets – to help passengers travelling from stations where only card payments are accepted.
• Support and simplify: Help people access the benefits of buying online or using Pay As You Go – including simplifying fares so they feel more confident changing how they pay for their travel.

Ticketing has been changing gradually for years, and will continue to do so particularly in the light of the Government’s pledge to simplify our fare system under Great British Railways. These changes are welcome – we know from our research that passengers prioritise value for money and can get put off by confusing or complex ticket options. Alongside this, however, our analysis confirms that cash is still important, and must be preserved to avoid the danger of passengers being left behind.

 

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