Soon Brits will be able to pay for train travel using their smart phone

MILLIONS of Brits will be able to pay for train travel with their smartphones under plans to be unveiled by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling today.

Spelling out his ‘no’ the Tory big hitter will say he wants everyone travelling into big towns and cities to be able to use a handset or contactless card by the end of 2018.

And he wants passengers to be able to “pay as they go” as commuters in London are able to do with Oyster cards – meaning no need for a paper ticket ahead of travel.

It comes as the Cabinet heavyweight vows to end chronic delays on the railways by forcing Network Rail to work together with train operators so one team is in charge of trains, tracks and planned closures.

Officials are understood to be livid that Network Rail and the operators continue to blame each other when things go wrong – rather than putting passengers first.

Mr Grayling said: “We need to change the relationship between the tracks and the trains on the railway.

“When things go wrong a lack of a joined up approach can make things much worse for the passenger.

“In my experience passengers don’t understand the division between the two. They just want someone to be in charge. They want their train to work. I agree with them.”

Network Rail also faces being booted off the new East-West train line between Oxford and Cambridge altogether under Mr Grayling’s plans.

He will launch ‘East West Rail’, a new organisation separate to Network Rail that will be responsible for every aspect of the service and the track.

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