Train network to adopt Oyster pay-as-you-go

Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used in trains from autumn

Commuters will be able to use Oyster cards across the Tube and rail network in London by the end of this year as e-ticketing systems become better joined up, but questions over integration costs still linger.

It is expected that the public will be able to use Oyster pay-as-you–go cards from autumn, following years of wrangling between the government, the Association of Train Operating Companies and train operators hesitant to join the scheme due to maintenance costs and the possibility of increased fare evasion.

In 2006, former mayor Ken Livingstone offered £20m to help fund the provision and installation of smartcard readers, station equipment and back-office support systems.

Since then, the taxpayer bill to fund the changes in ticketing infrastructure has suffered a substantial increase, and Transport for London (TfL) is now investing £40m to install equipment at rail stations across the capital.

A TfL spokesman told Computing that the money will be mainly used to purchase equipment - which needs to comply with the government-mandated ITSO smartcard standard - but could not specify how much more would be spent to finance the integration of systems covering areas such as fare reconciliation.

"Progress has been made in the last few weeks and prospects now appear good. It seems likely that pay-as-you-go Oyster cards will be accepted on all train services in London towards the end of 2009," he said.