UK Rail Minister Tom Harris (pictured below) has announced plans to restructure London”s rail ticketing system by zoning all routes. From January 2007 the complex system of station-to-station fares will be simplified and all fares will be based on the current zones in place for the London Underground and travelcards. Currently there are 97, 300 different station-to-station combinations, which will be reduced to just 21 under the new zoning system.
The new ticketing is a step towards having Oyster pay-as-you-go ticketing available on all London rail over the next few years. At the moment Oyster pay-as-you-go can only be used on the London Underground, although Oyster travelcards can be used on national rail services.
Commenting on the new system Harris said: ”this removes a barrier to the introduction of smart ticketing, bringing seamless travel for London passengers closer.”
