Cyber attack delays pay-as-you-go train tickets

Passengers had been due to be able to pay contactless at barriers at a further 14 stations in Surrey and Kent

A scheme to allow passengers to pay contactless for tickets at more stations across south-east England has been delayed after a cyber attack, Transport for London (TfL) says.

A further eight stations in Surrey and six in Kent had been due to introduce the tap-in-tap-out card payment system from 22 September.

TfL said that about 5,000 customers' sort codes and bank account details could have been accessed by hackers amid an "ongoing cyber security incident".

The National Crime Agency said a 17-year-old boy was arrested in Walsall, West Midlands, on 5 September, after the cyber attack which began four days earlier.

The new stations which had been due to have contactless cards at barriers were:

Kent: Bat & Ball, Dunton Green, Eynsford, Otford, Sevenoaks, Shoreham.

Surrey: Ashford, Egham, Kempton Park, Shepperton, Staines, Sunbury, Upper Halliford, Virginia Water.

A TfL spokesperson said: "The security measures we are taking mean that it is now not possible for us to deliver the necessary system changes to enable 47 additional stations outside London to benefit from pay as you go with contactless on 22 September as planned.

"We are working with DfT and the Rail Delivery Group to reschedule and we apologise for the delay."