Laura Kyrke-Smith, Member of Parliament for Aylesbury and the villages, has welcomed the news that the Labour Government is introducing contactless ticketing at Cheddington, fulfilling its promise of simpler, better value train travel for passengers.

From February 2, train travellers Cheddington will be able to use tap-in and tap-out ticketing for the first time and be guaranteed the best value ticket available on the day.

The new ticketing will turn key commuter lines into fully contactless journeys. Train travel will be simpler, more accessible, and more flexible for local residents.

The Government has pledged to put passenger experience at the heart of Britain’s railways and so travellers using tap-in tap-out will be guaranteed the best value ticket available on the day, saving both time and money on every journey taken.

placeholder image — Laura Kyrke-Smith MP.

This is just one of the ways in which the government is fulfilling its commitment to untangle the complex web of ticketing, which has often put people off travelling by train. It was made possible by £20m of government funding put towards modernising the rail network.

The changes in Cheddington will coincide with contactless ticketing being rolled out at a wider total of 96 stations throughout 2025, including London Stansted Airport. This means all London airports will be accessible to residents using contactless for the first time.

Laura Kyrke-Smith said: “It is fantastic news that traveling by train in Cheddington will be easier from now on. This Labour government promised to make train tickets simpler and this shows that we were serious. Many who live in Aylesbury and the villages are frequent rail users – whether for work, for school or to socialise – and so the impact of these measures will be hugely positive.

“Passengers will welcome the Labour government looking out for their interests, making it simple to get the best fare possible.

“I am working hard alongside my Labour colleagues to build on this, ensuring better journeys every time by bringing our railways up to standard and ending the decades of neglect we’ve seen up until now.”

Lord Peter Hendy, Labour’s Rail Minister, said: “The ticketing system is far too complicated, so we’re taking the stress out of navigating the labyrinth of fares and replacing it with new technology so passengers can simply tap-in tap-out, while being guaranteed the best fare available at the time on the day.

“This hassle-free technology will simplify thousands of journeys every day for passengers across the South East, and it’s something we will roll out to other cities as soon as we can.

“We are delivering the biggest overhaul of our rail network in a generation, putting passengers at the heart of every journey and encouraging more people to choose rail.”

The announcement is part of this government’s plan to undertake the biggest overhaul of our rail network in a generation, putting passengers at the heart of every journey and encouraging more people to choose rail. Great British Railways will bring track and train together under one directing mind with a relentless focus on improving services for passengers and customers.