Overview
- From 14 December, tap-in/tap-out will be available at Stansted and Southend Airport stations, meaning all London airports support contactless rail payments.
- The change covers 50 additional south-east stations in one phase, with Transport for London support and operators including Greater Anglia involved.
- Ending the previous prohibition at Stansted addresses longstanding penalty fares, with London TravelWatch estimating about 16,000 travellers a year were fined.
- Oyster cards will still not be valid at Stansted Airport station and contactless will not be permitted for Cambridge–Stansted journeys.
- The rollout builds on earlier phases at 53 stations that recorded 5.6 million journeys since June 2024, and it targets a cohort of 6.7 million annual Stansted rail users.