Industry First: PLUSBUS is the key for Southern’s new smartcard

From left: Nick Hill, Commercial Development Manager, Metrobus; Alex Hynes, Go-Ahead's Managing Director Rail Development; Alistair Buckle, Head of Marketing, Southern and Roger French, Managing Director, Brighton and Hove.

Go-Ahead company Southern has taken the first step in smartcard ticketing integration, with PLUSBUS tickets now available to load on the company’s groundbreaking smartcard – the key.

From left: Nick Hill, Commercial Development Manager, Metrobus; Alex Hynes, Go-Ahead’s Managing Director Rail Development; Alistair Buckle, Head of Marketing, Southern and Roger French, Managing Director, Brighton and Hove.

This industry first means that passengers using the key can now enjoy an even more seamless journey simply touching in and out at stations and on buses in the Brighton and Crawley PLUSBUS areas.

Currently, weekly and monthly PLUSBUS tickets are available to load, but there is much more to come as the product is further developed and extended.

The latest development allows customers unlimited travel on Brighton and Hove Buses and Metrobus in the Brighton PLUSBUS area and on Metrobus routes in the Crawley PLUSBUS area, providing a complete multi modal travelling experience. Key holders can purchase weekly PLUSBUS tickets and load them onto their card via self service ticket machines at Southern stations within the areas where the key smartcard can be used.

Alex Foulds, Southern’s Development Director said: “PLUSBUS tickets are proving more and more popular with our customers so it’s only natural that it should be one of the first additions to our new smart card portfolio of products.”

Roger French, Brighton and Hove buses Managing Director said: “Brighton is already the most successful PLUSBUS scheme in the country by volume of sales so we’re pleased the latest smartcard technology is now available for passengers using both buses and trains.”

Nick Hill, Metrobus’s Commercial Manager said: “We are pleased to be part of this exciting new development which makes it easier than ever for rail users to get the bus to the station. We look forward to working with Southern on the further development of Plusbus on the key.”

Alex Hynes, Go-Ahead’s Managing Director, Rail Development said: “It’s great to see Go-Ahead’s bus and rail companies continuing to lead the transport industry by providing smart ticketing for passengers. Our smartcard, known as the key, is now used by more than 300,000 passengers and this latest development will make travelling with our companies in the Brighton and Crawley PLUSBUS areas even more seamless.”

Both weekly and monthly PLUSBUS tickets are also available by contacting Southern Customer Services on 08451 27 29 20. The cardholder can then turn up at their nominated Southern railway station, touch their card on the validator on the gate or platform and the PLUSBUS ‘ticket’ will automatically load ready for use. When using the bus, the key is simply touched onto the bus validator when boarding.

Mr Foulds added: “Buying a train and PLUSBUS ticket on the key smartcard offers the rail passenger multiple benefits of convenience, ease of use and great value for money. This is the start of a new exciting era of multi-modal smartcard travel.”