Smart tickets could entice Gen Z back to railways

08/03/2022

Connectivity

Smart tickets could hold the key to boosting ridership with Gen Z passengers (16-24-year olds), according to new research by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

A survey of over 2,000 UK adults showed that 84% of Gen Z respondents would travel by train after learning more about smart tickets.

This was much higher than the overall average, which was still positive at 58%.

The research, from the rail operator which runs Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern services, revealed that nearly six in 10 (59%) were previously unaware of smart tickets, and therefore were not familiar with the many benefits of their use.

Following an introduction to smart tickets, consumers agreed they would make travelling easier (35%), remove the stress of losing paper tickets (35%) and, for GTR’s Pay-As-You-Go option KeyGo, guarantee the best value walk-up fare for all the different journeys taken on one day (28%).

It wasn’t just young people keen to trade paper tickets for smart tickets; the majority of respondents (66%) from the ages of 35+ stated nothing would prevent them from using a smart ticket.

Ian McLaren, head of innovation and chief finance officer at GTR, said: "We regularly consult our customers to better understand how we can tailor and improve the services we provide to their evolving needs.

“Our smart ticket options are a perfect example of technological innovation that offers access to better fares, automatic delay compensation notification and greater convenience when travelling.”

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