Smart travel brings benefits for Great Northern and Thameslink rail commuters at Cambridge and stations to King's Lynn

• Key Smartcard now works for season ticket holders at Cambridge and stations to King’s Lynn
• Key Smartcard is time-saving, more secure and gives automatically-generated delay compensation claims

Rail commuters travelling with Great Northern and Thameslink can now use Govia Thameslink Railway’s time-saving, convenient ‘Key Smartcard’ in place of paper season tickets at Cambridge and stations to King’s Lynn.

The Key Smartcard is steadily being expanded for use on other operators’ routes; it can also now be used throughout Kent with Southeastern (see the full map).

Rail user groups have welcomed the move, hailing the greater convenience.

Passengers simply register for a Key Smartcard online at greatnorthernrail.com/key or thameslinkrailway.com/key where they buy the ticket, and then tap on a ticket gate or station validator to pick up the electronic ticket.

Key Smartcard benefits for passengers, compared to travelling with a paper ticket, include:

• time-saving: no queues at the ticket office and a simple tap in, tap out to speed journeys;
• more secure: lost smartcards can be instantly cancelled and replaced;
• automatically-generated Delay Repay claims: submitted with just a click of a button.

Thameslink and Great Northern Customer Services Director Jenny Saunders said: “The extension of the Key Smartcard is great news for our passengers on the route to King’s Lynn and especially for the thousands at Cambridge who commute with us to London King’s Cross and St Pancras.

“The Key Smartcard is quicker than a paper ticket, more secure and passengers using it can opt in for automatically-generated delay compensation claims.

“This strengthens our modernisation of passenger services. We have already brought in over 2,500 extra commuter seats on new, air-conditioned trains between Cambridge and London and next year we’ll be doubling the length of the trains to and from King’s Lynn, relieving congestion on this popular route.”

Becky Burrell, Marketing and Commercial Manager for Cambridge Business Improvement District, said: “We welcome innovations, such as the GTR Key Smartcard, which make it easier for people to travel to and from Cambridge for work. Effective public transport is an integral part of solving congestion in the city.”

John Grant, chairman of the Fen Line Users’ Association, said: “I'm pleased that Fen Line passengers can now use this much better form of payment for Great Northern train tickets, giving them greater convenience when travelling by avoiding the queues at ticket machines and offices.”

Great Northern and Thameslink has a prize draw offering Key Smartcard holders the opportunity to win back the value of their season ticket, worth as much as £6,000 for some annual journeys.

Commuters can now use Great Northern and Thameslink's Key Smartcard to and from King's Lynn and all the stations to and from Cambridge. Pictured at King's Lynn are, from left), station manager Graeme Pratt, Govia Thameslink Railway's smart ticketing manager Sherisse Shelton-Smith, John Grant, chairman of the Fen Line Users' Association, and Thameslink and Great Northern customer services director Jenny Saunders. Download this picture and others below

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Notes to editors

GTR’s Key Smartcards were previously valid only as far north as Foxton. Work has now been completed that allows the card to be used with Greater Anglia’s systems at Cambridge, Cambridge North and Ely stations, opening up the route for smartcards all the way to King’s Lynn. Smart season tickets are available through the Great Northern and Thameslink websites.

Passengers can register and request their Key Smartcard online at www.thameslinkrailway.com/key and www.greatnorthernrail.com/key. Season tickets can be bought online and added to the card as the passenger taps on the ticket gate, or station smartcard validator, avoiding queues at the station.

Prize-draws: Key Smartcard holders can enter a prize draw to win back the value of their season tickets, online at either of the websites above.