CARD only payments are being trialled on some of the ticket machines used for the North-East Metro system.

Nexus, which operates the Tyne and Wear railway network, said it has been prompted by the increasing number of customers who are opting for cashless transactions.

Three of the eight ticket machines at Central Station in Newcastle City centre have been set up to only accept credit/debit card payments.

Nexus is keen to see how popular the move is, and if it can be rolled out to other stations on the Metro system.

More than half of all Metro passengers have switched from using cash to pay for travel, choosing smart cards and contactless payment at ticket machines instead, including Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Huw Lewis, from Nexux, said: “If we roll out card only ticket machines to other parts of the network then we’ll ensure that customers do have that cash payment option. Cash payments won’t disappear completely just yet.”