Plans to expand contactless payments to 20 stations have been delayed by six months, a train operator has said.
Greater Anglia announced last month it would introduce a tap-in tap-out ticketing system at barriers across several stations in Essex and Hertfordshire, including Stansted Airport.
The system was due to be in place from 14 December, but Greater Anglia said on Wednesday it would now not happen until summer 2026, after issues were found and more work was needed.
Martin Beable, Greater Anglia’s managing director, apologised, but said it was “essential” the service was reliable from day one.
“We understand how frustrating it is when improvements like this are delayed, and I am very sorry for the disappointment this will cause some of our customer,” he said.
“It is essential, however, that contactless ticketing works reliably from day one.
“Our teams are working closely with our partners to complete this work as quickly as possible, and we remain committed to introducing contactless ticketing across these additional stations by summer 2026.”
Greater Anglia said for the system to operate correctly, its fares must be fully integrated into Transport for London’s fare system, and additional work was required to ensure this was seamless.
Stations affected by the delay include Billericay, Bishop’s Stortford, Chelmsford, Rayleigh, Sawbridgeworth.
The expansion of the contactless system is part of an £18.7m investment from the Department for Transport to “make rail fares and tickets more convenient, accessible and flexible”.