 Oyster pay-as-you-go is not currently available on rail services |
Oyster card pay-as-you-go ticketing is to be made available on railway services in London as part of the new South West Main Line franchise. The successful bidder will have to provide Oyster machines in 35 stations in the capital on the network by 2009.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has invited bids for the 10-year franchise which begins in February 2007.
London's Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "This is a major step towards fully integrated ticketing in London."
More urgency
It is the first time the DfT has specified the requirement of Oyster validating equipment in a tender for a railway franchise.
The new deal will see South West Trains operate as part of a South Western franchise alongside the Isle of Wight's Island Line.
Stagecoach, the current SWT operator, Arriva, FirstGroup and GNER are all bidding. The franchise is expected to be awarded in Autumn 2006.
Some 11 million Oyster journeys are made on the DLR and Tube every week and 16 million on buses, according to Transport for London.
Transport watchdog, London TravelWatch, welcomed the DfT's announcement but was disappointed that Oyster services will not be introduced sooner.
TravelWatch chairman Brian Cooke said: "It is unfair that areas outside the Tube network cannot reap the benefits that Oyster brings - the sooner it is introduced for all passengers, the better."
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