Railway Pop card anomaly called 'confusing'
Northumberland County CouncilA "confusing" anomaly when using the Pop card ticketing system has been criticised by a transport users group.
The pay-as-you-go smart card, run by Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus, has been accepted on the Northumberland Line, which is run by Northern, since its launch in December 2024.
But since a timetable change in December, passengers have been unable to use the card on part of the service between Newcastle and the Metrocentre on Sundays.
North East Public Transport Users Group (Neptug) said the complication could put people off using public transport. However, the North East Combined Authority (NECA) said there was no evidence such issues discouraged public transport use.
In addition to the Northumberland Line, Pop cards can be used on the Metro, buses and the Shields Ferry.
Last month, most Northumberland Line services on Sundays were extended from Newcastle to the Metrocentre in Gateshead.
But Neptug official Alistair Ford said Pop cards did not work for this part of the trip and it risked puzzling passengers, as well as making them liable for penalty fares.
'Less attractive'
"It just makes the whole thing unnecessarily confusing," he said.
NECA said passengers who stayed on the service beyond Newcastle to the Metrocentre would only be charged by a guard for that part of the trip.
But Ford said that passengers making a return Northumberland Line trip to the Metrocentre could end up paying more for using this Pop card and ticket than if they had bought a region-wide day pass.
He said the complexity made "public transport far less attractive for people to use".
NECA said that railways across the country had local travel schemes that only applied to some stations.
"There is no evidence this puts people off using public transport," a spokesperson said.
NECA also said it wanted to expand the Pop card regionally and that it was considering the commercial agreements required as well as the costs of new ticket validators.
