Pictured: GWR Regional Development Manager for the West, David Whiteway, left, and Cornwall Council cabinet member for transport, Dan Rogerson
Vix Technology is pleased to announce a new phase of its ongoing partnership with Great Western Railway (GWR), which enables the expansion of Pay-as-you-Go ITSO smart card payments across the whole of Cornwall and into Plymouth.
More than a hundred of Vix’s new-generation platform validators are now live across stations between Penzance and Plymouth. They connect to Vix’s secure, cloud-based system for configuration, monitoring, and analytics, while also interfacing with the network’s ticketing platform to support account-based travel.
Passengers can now tap in and out at any station between Penzance and Plymouth using their smart card, and they will automatically pay the best-value fares for their journey.
Pictured: Vix’s new-generation platform validators
This rollout brings Vix’s modern, trusted validation technology to passengers across the region and marks an important milestone in GWR’s wider plans to improve the rail experience. For Vix, it represents the first major rollout of its new wave of platform validators to a UK train operator for an ITSO Pay-as-you-Go scheme.
Looking ahead, GWR has a clear vision for further enhancements. Future phases may include the introduction of cEMV Pay-as-you-Go and QR ticketing, enabling even more flexible and accessible travel options for passengers.
Michael Hart, Chief Revenue Officer at Vix, said:
“We’re pleased to facilitate this important phase of ticketing transformation for GWR. As ever, our technology answers operators’ needs now, while paving the way for future innovation. Vix is committed to working closely with GWR to support ongoing improvements across the network and to help deliver modern, convenient and passenger-centred transport experiences.”
GWR Head of Retail, Dhawal Sawant, said:
“We were proud to work with Cornwall Council to extend Pay-as-you-Go to the whole of the county and into Plymouth, and delighted by our partnership with Vix Technology, whose team ensured validators were installed and ready for operation in time for the launch.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for the region, with Mid Cornwall Metro set to deliver more frequent services, and direct trains between Falmouth and Newquay.
“This will be transformative for rail travel in the south-west and the extension of the pay-as-you-go network is all part of our objective to make travelling with GWR a simpler, more accessible, experience.”
Watch: Cornwall's simple PAYG experience