The Key (smartcard)

The Key
Govia Thameslink Railway's Key smartcard being held near a smartcard reader integrated into a station ticket barrier.
LocationUnited Kingdom
LaunchedMay 2007; 17 years ago (2007-05)[1]
Technology
  • ITSO contactless smartcard
OperatorGo-Ahead Group
ManagerGo-Ahead Group
Validity

The Key is a contactless ITSO-compatible smartcard developed by the Go-Ahead Group used on buses, trains and other forms of public transport across various areas of the United Kingdom.

The Key uses near-field communication to electronically store and transmit information about rail and bus tickets for use on several operators across the UK. It was initially introduced in June 2007 by the Oxford Bus Company to simplify bus ticketing across their services.[1] It has since spread to a multitude of other services, primarily run by the Go-Ahead Group, who are the parent company of the Oxford Bus Company.

The Key brand is owned and operated by the Go-Ahead Group. The Key is available to customers on the majority of the deregulated bus services operated by the Go-Ahead Group in towns and cities across England. Due to it being ITSO-compatible, it can also be used across the entire UK rail network.[2]

Customers may order a Key smartcard free-of-charge or for a small charge from all operators which accept The Key, or from any Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern railway station ticket office.[3] The Key functions across all operators which use it, regardless of where it was obtained.

From March 2020 until late 2022, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operated 12 Key smartcard kiosks. These were standalone, self-operated machines that could issue standard adult Key smartcards by providing your personal details. These were removed when all GTR ticket offices were updated to support vending new smartcards. Before their removal, the kiosks were present at Bedford, Brighton, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath, Hitchin, Horsham, Luton, St Albans City, St Neots, Stevenage, Three Bridges and Worthing stations.[4][5][6]

A person using a Key smartcard kiosk
One of GTR's now-removed Key smartcard kiosks at a station
  1. ^ a b "oxford bus smartcard - card selection". 18 May 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  2. ^ "The key smartcard | Southern Railway". 11 June 2022. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  3. ^ "The key smartcard | Southern Railway". www.southernrailway.com. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Thameslink - The Key Smartcard Kiosk". www.thameslinkrailway.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Passengers can now get a Thameslink Key Smartcard from these railway stations". RailAdvent. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Smart way to travel now available from a railway kiosk near you". Mynewsdesk. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2023.