More Choice for Rail Customers as Convenience Stores to Sell TfW Tickets

SilverRail is delighted to announce its collaboration with Payzone and Transport for Wales (TfW) to deliver a first-of-its-kind retail solution to the high street.

The project has seen SilverRail and Payzone, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Post Office, develop a joint proposition that enables people in Wales to buy TfW rail tickets within several Payzone outlets.

This new initiative will ensure that rail retailing remains inclusive by allowing all types of travellers – from those who are confident with mobile ticketing to those who are less digitally adept – to book rail journeys using cash or through more modern payment methods.

Given 20% of tickets (pre-pandemic) were bought using cash, it’s vital that the industry maintains a semi-digital presence so that no customer is left behind by the digital revolution.

The service will make all rail tickets that are compatible with barcode e-tickets accessible as printed barcode tickets that can be used across the national rail network. These tickets are the same as those that can be purchased on mobile phones but work as printed tickets.

David O’Leary, TfW’s Commercial and Customer Experience Director, said:

“This is an exciting pilot that gives customers additional choices about how and where they purchase their rail tickets. This is the very first time in the UK that rail customers will be able to buy their tickets in their local convenience store and it also gives customers the added choice of purchasing with cash, especially if their local station does not have a ticket office or only has a self-service machine that accepts cards only.”

Head of Transport and Ticketing at Payzone, Noel Goulty, added:

“This is truly a first for rail ticketing, bringing the retailing of rail tickets to the centre of Welsh communities. This strategic partnership with SilverRail will deliver a fully accredited system on behalf of Transport for Wales, which is exclusive to Payzone and allows passengers to buy rail tickets, whilst popping into their corner shop for some essentials!

We are committed to innovating in this space to become the default high street network for cash ticketing. This is a genuinely exciting time for Transport for Wales and we are delighted to be part of the team delivering on their strategy.”

David Pitt, SilverRail’s Head of UK, said:

“We are very excited to deliver this pioneering retail solution alongside TfW and Payzone. Bringing rail tickets to the high street in this way will ensure nobody is left behind by the digital revolution and will provide convenience and a wider availability of tickets to the travelling public.

We believe it’s very important that rail retailing remains inclusive by allowing all types of travellers – from those who are confident with mobile ticketing to those who are less digitally adept – to be able to book rail journeys using cash or through more modern payment methods.”

For media inquiries, please contact:

Frederic Kalinke, Marketing Director at SilverRail

e: marketing@silverrailtech.com

About SilverRail

SilverRail delivers the retail engine for global rail. Its product suite spans the full passenger journey: trip planning, booking, payment, ticketing and aftersales.

SilverRail:

• Handles more than 1 billion online rail searches each year
• Distributes tickets for more than 35 providers and carriers
• Processes more than 30 million bookings each year
• Serves more than 1,500 corporate customers worldwide

SilverRail was founded in 2009 and has offices in London, Boston, Stockholm and Brisbane.

About Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales (TfW) oversees public transport in Wales and its mission is to drive forward the Welsh Government’s vision of a high-quality, safe, integrated, affordable, and accessible transport network that the people of Wales are proud of.