Transport minister Baroness Kramer has announced a number of measures designed to make public transport more connected and convenient.

Smart ticketing will be rolled out across the Centro West Midlands rail network over the next two years, thanks to £620,000 of funding. An agreement has also been reached with bus drivers to start developing multi-operator smart tickets this year.

This means that passengers will be able to use smart ticketing at Birmingham New Street station once its redevelopment is completed in September.

In addition to this, the government plans to work with the UK Cards Association to enable contactless payment for public transport across the country.

Baroness Kramer said: “Implementing smart tickets involves close working across operators, administrative regions and industries. These three initiatives show how much can be done through partnership working.”
She added: “Smart ticketing is revolutionising travel and is an important part of the transport investment which will help to build a stronger economy and fairer society.”