What is the key?
The key is an electronic, reusable smartcard we’re introducing across our network, starting with the routes through Birmingham Snow Hill. It will make buying and using your season ticket easier, simpler and more secure.
Instead of having a paper ticket, your season ticket is stored electronically on your plastic smartcard, so it’s difficult to damage, and easy to cancel if you lose it. When your ticket runs out, you simply renew it online, so there’s no more queuing either.
The key will enable you to:
- purchase online and collect at stations in a one-touch transaction
- purchase ticket products at self-service machines quicker and much more easily than today
- enjoy added security, as tickets can quickly cancelled if lost or stolen
- save time at the station, going automatically through ticket gates
- load multiple tickets on one card
- in future, benefit from new products and integrated transport opportunities
A new era for the Birmingham Snow Hill lines
The season tickets you'll be able to load will be valid for travel at 41 stations based along the following Snow Hill routes:
- Worcester to Birmingham;
- Dorridge to Birmingham
- Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham
Click on the above image to view large version.
Following several months of testing by our own team, we now have around 100 participants to take part in the scheme . These customers are due to renew monthly or annual season passes during late January/early February and will be helping us to test the scheme further prior to a wider launch.
It’s always sensible to roll out new technology gradually, so following sucessful completion of the trial we expect the scheme to be available to everyone from April onwards.
How does it work?
If you are participating in our trial scheme and have received the key smartcard you will be able to load tickets on it as soon as you have activated it. You’re then ready to start buying season tickets for the Snow Hill lines. You can check when your ticket expires (and buy a new one) by signing into your online account.
Each time you travel, just ‘touch in’ by placing your key on the smartcard reader at the station before you get on the train. A beep and a green light will indicate you have a valid ticket. At the other end of your journey, ‘touch out’ on the reader before you leave the station - it’s that easy.
To open the automatic ticket gates at Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street, simply ‘touch in’ or ‘touch out’ on the yellow reader above the ticket slot.
Getting the key
Unless you have been contacted directly by our smartcard team you will be unable to apply for the key until the trial has completed and only then will we be making the scheme available to everyone.
Further information
If you are a weekly, monthly or longer season ticket holder and you regularly travel between Worcester, Birmingham, Dorridge and Stratford-upon-Avon (and stations in-between), please use the contact details below for further information about the key:
- Call 0844 811 0133 or 0121 634 2040 (option 3) from a mobile between 7am - 10pm 7 days a week
- Email thekey@londonmidland.com
