Contactless smartcards are being progressively introduced as an alternative option to paper ticketing on the National Rail system of Great Britain. Tickets for use on National Rail services can be loaded onto any ITSO card.
The ITSO standard has been developed 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 the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) concessionary passes and rail staff passes are issued in.
Three train operating companies have launched pay-as-you-go systems where fares are automatically deducted by touching-in-and-out ITSO cards at the start and end of the journey. Branded as keyGo on Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Tap2Go on South Western Railway (SWR), they require use of GTR's The Key and SWR's Touch smartcard respectively. Great Western Railway (GWR) also launched a pay-as-you-go system called GWR PAYG in August 2022, which requires the use of the GWR Touch smartcard. Transport for Wales (TFW/TrC) have also started rolling out a Pay-as-you-go system using EMV cards from February 7, 2024 across South East Wales.
The first large scale adoption of smartcards for transport in Great Britain was by Transport for London (TfL) with the Oyster card. It was initially only available on TfL services, but it has been progressively rolled out to National Rail services in and around Greater London. ITSO cards can also now be used on Oyster card readers.
+ Support for smartcards and mobile apps Train operating companySmartcard issued Routes supported by smartcards for:Season ticketsPay-as-you-goSingle, Return and Day Travelcards loaded to the cardConcessionary passesSmartcards and mobile appsEMV credit / debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay Avanti West CoastAvanti West Coast Smartcard London Euston to Watford Junction (Oyster)
London Euston to Boundary Zone 6 (Travelcards on ITSO)
Northampton to Stafford and Shrewsbury via Birmingham
(Swift ITSO) None None None No Greater London acceptanceCoventry to Wolverhampton (Network West Midlands ENCTS) c2cc2c Smart London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Rainham (Oyster)
London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Rainham (Travelcards on ITSO)
All stations (c2c smart ITSO) London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Grays (Oyster) All stations (CPAY) All stations (c2c smart ITSO) London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street to Upminster and Rainham (Freedom Pass) Caledonian SleeperDoes not issue its own smartcard Glasgow to Fort William and Kingussie to Inverness (ScotRail Smartcard ITSO) None None None None Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways Smartcard London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Oyster)
All stations(Chiltern smartcard ITSO)
Leamington Spa to Kidderminster (Swift ITSO)
London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Harrow-on-the-Hill (Travelcards on ITSO) London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Oyster) London Marylebone to Princes Risborough and Aylesbury Vale Parkway (CPAY) London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Travelcards on ITSO) London Marylebone to West Ruislip and Amersham (Freedom Pass)
Dorridge to Stourbridge Junction (Network West Midlands ENCTS) CrossCountry CrossCountry Smartcard Some Crosscountry journeys (ITSO)
Basingstoke to Bournemouth (SWR ITSO Smartcard)
Nottingham to Sheffield (EMT Stagecoach Smart ITSO)
Leamington Spa to Stafford
(Swift ITSO)
Doncaster to Sheffield (SY smartcard ITSO)
Wakefield Westgate to Leeds (MCard ITSO)
Beeston to Nottingham (Kangaroo ITSO)
Proposed: Winchester to Southampton Central (Solent go ITSO)Cheltenham Spa to Weston-super-Mare (GWR PAYG ITSO) Plymouth to Penzance (GWR PAYG ITSO)
Being trialled:; Derby to Nottingham
(EMR PAYG) Newport to Cardiff Central (TfW EMV) Basingstoke to Bournemouth (SWR ITSO Smartcard)
Nottingham to Sheffield (EMT Stagecoach Smart ITSO) Coventry to Wolverhampton (Network West Midlands ENCTS)East Midlands RailwayEMR Smartcard London St Pancras to Boundary Zone 6 (Oyster) Only valid in combination with a paper single or return ticket (as provided for at point 19c in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage.)
London St Pancras to Boundary Zone 6 (Travelcards on ITSO)
London St Pancras to Bedford (The Key ITSO)
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) (EMR ITSO)
Attenborough to Bulwell and Carlton (Kangaroo ITSO)
Wakefield Westgate to Leeds (MCard ITSO)
Dore & Totley to Doncaster (SY smartcard ITSO)
To be announced: At Luton Airport Parkway, Luton and Bedford (EMRt ITSO)
Proposed: Hazel Grove to Irlam (Get Me There ITSO)
Proposed: Nottingham to Lincoln (not at intermediate stations) (EMT Stagecoach Smart ITSO)
Projected: Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway (Walrus ITSO)Proposed: Wellingborough and Kettering to London St Pancras (EMR ITSO)
Being trialled:; Leicester to Derby and Nottingham
(EMR PAYG) St Pancras International to Luton (CPAY) 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) (EMR ITSO)
Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway (Walrus ITSO) No Greater London acceptance
Hazel Grove to Irlam (TfGM ENCTS)
Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway/Hunts Cross (Merseyside ENCTS) Elizabeth lineTransport for London Oyster card Abbey Wood and Shenfield to West Drayton and Heathrow Airport (Oyster)Abbey Wood and Shenfield to West Drayton and Heathrow Airport (Travelcards on ITSO) Abbey Wood and Shenfield to West Drayton and Heathrow Airport (Oyster) All stations (CPAY) Abbey Wood and Shenfield to West Drayton and Heathrow Airport(Travelcards on ITSO) All stations (Freedom Pass) Gatwick Express (brand of Govia Thameslink Railway)Does not issue its own smartcard London Victoria to Boundary Zone 6 (Oyster)
London Victoria to Boundary Zone 6 (Travelcards on ITSO)
Gatwick Airport to London Victoria (The Key (ITSO)) London Victoria to Gatwick Airport (Oyster)
All stations
(keyGo on The Key (ITSO)) All stations (CPAY) Gatwick Airport to London Victoria (The Key (ITSO))
Projected: London Victoria to Gatwick Airport (The Key (ITSO)) None Greater AngliaGreater Anglia Smart Card London Liverpool Street to Hertford East and Shenfield (Oyster)London Liverpool Street to Harold Wood, Edmonton Green and Enfield Lock (Travelcards on ITSO)
All stations (except Shippea Hill, Lakenheath, Haring Road, Eccles Road, Spooner Row, Salhouse, Brundall Gardens, Buckenham, Somerleyton and Berney Arms) (ITSO)
Cambridge to King's Lynn (The Key ITSO) London Liverpool Street to Hertford East and Shenfield (Oyster) London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, Witham and Southend Victoria (CPAY) London Liverpool Street to Edmonton Green, Enfield Lock and Harold Wood (Travelcards on ITSO) London Liverpool Street to Edmonton Green, Enfield Lock and Harold Wood (Freedom Pass) Grand CentralDoes not issue its own smartcard London Kings Cross to Boundary Zone 6 (Oyster)
London Kings Cross to Boundary Zone 6 (Travelcards on ITSO)
Pontefract Monkhill to Bradford Interchange (MCard ITSO) None None None None Great Western RailwayGWR Touch Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Oyster)
Upwey to Weymouth; Ash to Guildford (SWR ITSO Smartcard)
Worcester Foregate Street to Hereford (Swift ITSO)
Dorking (Deepdene) to Gatwick Airport; Brighton to Chichester (The Key (ITSO))
Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Travelcards on ITSO)
All GWR stations
(Touch ITSO) Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford; Redhill to Gatwick Airport (Oyster)
Area bounded by Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, Swindon, Freshford, Weston-Super-Mare, Seven Beach and Patchway (ITSO)
Gunnislake, Looe and Plymouth to Penzance, Falmouth Docks and St. Ives (ITSO)
Gatwick Airport to Dorking Deepdene (keyGo on The Key (ITSO)) Paddington to Greenford, Windsor & Eton Central, Henley-on-Thames, Marlow and Reading; Reigate to Gatwick Airport (CPAY) Upwey to Weymouth; Ash to Guildford (SWR ITSO Smartcard)
Dorking (Deepdene) to Gatwick Airport; Brighton to Chichester
(The Key (ITSO))
Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Travelcards on ITSO) Paddington to West Drayton and Greenford (Freedom Pass) Great Northern (brand of Govia Thameslink Railway)The Key London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Oyster)
London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Travelcards on ITSO)
London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Huntingdon and King's Lynn
Cambridge to Cambridge North (Abellio Greater Anglia ITSO)
Projected: Huntingdon to Peterborough; London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Potter Bar and Hertford North (Oyster)
London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Huntingdon and Foxton (keyGo on The Key (ITSO)) London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Baldock (CPAY) London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Travelcards on ITSO) London Kings Cross and Moorgate to Hadley Wood and Crews Hill (Freedom Pass) Heathrow ExpressDoes not issue its own smartcard Heathrow Terminal 5 to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 (Oyster)
Heathrow Terminal 5 to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3
(Travelcards on ITSO) All stations (Oyster) All stations (CPAY) Heathrow Terminal 5 to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 (Travelcards on ITSO) None Hull TrainsDoes not issue its own smartcard London Kings Cross to Boundary Zone 6 (Oyster)
London Kings Cross to Boundary Zone 6 (Travelcards on ITSO) None None None None London North Eastern RailwayLNER Smartcard London Kings Cross to Boundary Zone 6 (Oyster)
London Kings Cross to Boundary Zone 6 (Travelcards on ITSO)
Wakefield Westgate to Leeds (MCard ITSO)
London Kings Cross to Stevenage (The Key ITSO)
Somer LNER routes
Dunbar to Aberdeen, Glasgow Central and Inverness (ScotRail Smartcard ITSO) None None None None London Northwestern Railway (brand of West Midlands Trains)London Northwestern Railway Smartcard London Euston to Watford Junction (Oyster)
London Euston to Harrow & Wealdstone (Travelcards on ITSO)
London Euston to Long Buckby, St Albans Abbey & Bedford (LNW Smartcard ITSO)
Northampton to Stafford via Birmingham (Swift ITSO)
Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway (Walrus ITSO) London Euston to Watford Junction (Oyster) London Euston to Bletchley and St Albans Abbey (CPAY) London Euston to Harrow & Wealdstone (Travelcards on ITSO)
Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway (Walrus ITSO) Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway/Hunts Cross (Merseyside ENCTS)London Euston to Harrow & Wealdstone (Freedom Pass)Coventry to Wolverhampton; (Network West Midlands ENCTS) London OvergroundTransport for London Oyster card All stations (Oyster)
All stations (Travelcards on ITSO) All stations (Oyster) All stations (CPAY) All stations (Travelcards on ITSO) All stations (Freedom Pass) MerseyrailMerseytravel MetroSmart None All stations (Tap&Go) All stations except Chester (Tap & Go) All stations (Merseytravel Saveaways on MetrosmartITSO) All stations (Merseyside ENCTS) NorthernNorthern Smart Dore & Totley and Kiveton Park to Denby Dale, Darton, Moorthorpe, South Elmsall, Thorne North and Thorne South (SY smartcard ITSO)
Walsden, Marsden, Denby Dale, Darton, Moorthorpe, South Elmsall and Knottingley to Steeton & Silsden, Horsforth, Micklefield and Pontefract Baghill (MCard ITSO)
Nottingham to Sheffield (not at Langley Mill or Dronfield)(EMR ITSO)
Newcastle to Sunderland (Popcard ITSO)
Liverpool Lime Street to Garswood, Hough Green and Newton-le-Willows; Kirkby to Rainford; Southport to Meols Cop (Walrus ITSO)