The UK government is to extend contactless “pay as you go” train ticketing to London Stansted Airport during 2025, as part of plans to simplify rail travel around South East England.

The Department for Transport (DFT) said it would be rolling out “tap in, tap out” ticketing at another 96 stations in the region around London this year, including the rail stations at both Stansted and London Southend airports.

In a statement, DFT said this move would mean that contactless train tickets would be available at all London airports for the first time “ensuring seamless connections from train to plane across our capital”. This payment service for rail tickets can already be used at Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and London City airports.

Rail minister Peter Hendy added: “The ticketing system is far too complicated, so we’re taking the stress out of navigating the labyrinth of fares and replacing it with new technology so passengers can simply tap-in tap-out, while being guaranteed the best fare available at the time on the day.

“This hassle-free technology will simplify thousands of journeys every day for passengers across the South East, and it’s something we will roll out to other cities as soon as we can, unlocking growth across the country as part of our Plan for Change.”

Contactless ticketing will be introduced at another 47 stations in the UK from 2 February, with the service added at another 49 stations later in the year, including both Stansted and Southend airports.