Digital season tickets can now be bought in a flash on new GTR apps

• New technology means GTR smartphone app will sell and store money-saving digital season sTickets for first time
• Weekly, monthly and annual seasons all available on selected routes
• No booking fees when you buy direct, unlike some other retailers
• Personalised and up-to-date journey information

Commuters returning from the summer break can now for the first time on Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services buy and store weekly, monthly and annual season tickets as barcode sTickets on their smartphones when using the train firms’ new apps.

The new apps give instant access on selected routes to the large discounts afforded with season tickets, such as 12 weeks’ free travel on an annual season ticket.

Once a customer has bought and stored their sTicket on one of the new apps, they simply scan it from the phone screen at the station ticket gate. It removes the need to queue at ticket machines and ticket offices, saving passengers time.

Parent company Govia Thameslink Railway has not been able to sell season tickets this way before because the barcodes could be easily shared, opening the floodgates to ticket fraud. New technology, however, has been incorporated into the company's new apps that creates a unique barcode for every journey taken.

The new Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express apps also feature:

• No booking fees – customers won’t be stung with added costs, unlike some other retailers
• The most up-to-date service information on the customer’s local train network plus personalised updates for regular journeys
• Digital railcards to give an automatic 1/3 off many other types of tickets

GTR Customer Services Director Jenny Saunders said: “For some time, our customers have been able to instantly buy and store single and return barcode eTickets on their phone. Now they can do the same with our hugely discounted season tickets, making it quick and easy to save money.

“Our new apps deliver instant eTickets and sTickets on a wide range of routes with no booking fees, as well as personalised service updates and even digital railcards that save 1/3 on many other journeys.”

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Editor's notes

The new apps can be downloaded from the iOS app store and Google Play – search Gatwick Express, Great Northern Rail, Southern Railway or Thameslink Railway.

About eTickets and sTickets

eTicket season tickets are retailed as ‘sTickets’ on the train firms’ new apps. More information is available here.

eTickets are available for more than 150,000 journeys across the GTR network. However, they are not available for every journey. The good news is that the Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express apps and websites will automatically choose the eTicket/sTicket fulfilment option if it’s available.

Some of the main reasons GTR can’t facilitate eTickets and sTickets for every fare include:

• If customers are starting or finishing your journey at a station GTR doesn’t operate, there might not be barcode readers available at that station
• If customers are purchasing a ticket that includes a London Travelcard, as there are not barcode readers available across Transport for London’s network
• If a ticket is classified as a “cross-London” journey (particularly relevant for some Thameslink journeys). This is because a paper ticket enables you to take an alternative route through London, if you experience disruption on your journey

GTR is working hard in collaboration with other operators, to enable more fares in the future.

eTickets can’t be used on London Underground services, even when a paper ticket for the same journey will be accepted.

This includes all journeys which include a cross London transfer on London Underground services.

As well as inter-available journeys where paper National Rail tickets, can be used on London Underground services, which include journeys between Moorgate and Kings Cross St Pancras Tube stations.