SEPTA added a contactless fare payment option to its Regional Rail system Friday, expanding a service that has been available on the transit authority's buses, trolleys and subway trains since September 2023.
With the Regional Rail deployment, SEPTA now claims to be the first commuter rail system in the country to offer contactless payment.
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Regional Rail riders can tap their credit cards or mobile wallets at faregates or platform validators, depending on what the station offers. The same fares and regulations that govern SEPTA's Travel Wallet apply to contactless payments, the transit authority said. Apple Pay users with "Express Mode" enabled on their iPhones can pay without unlocking their devices.
Conductors aboard Regional Rail trains will inspect fares paid through this method by asking to see the mobile wallet or card used at the validator or faregate. Riders also can buy a Quik Trips on the train via contactless payment.
The option is still out of reach for New Jersey Transit riders connecting to SEPTA through the Trenton and West Trenton stations. Though contactless payment is not available at those stops, SEPTA is "working to install validators at these stations," according to a release.
SEPTA made additional adjustments to Regional Rain service in March, including additional assistant conductors at peak hours and increased departure times between SEPTA arrivals and Amtrak departures, that shifted the schedules for 13 lines.
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