A 19th-Century Railway Meets 21st-Century Technology

<p style="text-align: left;">By introducing reloadable cards and QR code accounts, Lynton Railway gave customers a faster, more convenient way to travel while enjoying preferential pricing. The system improved loyalty, encouraged advance payments, and strengthened cash flow for reinvestment.</p><div class="cs-video cs-video-center" data-video="true" data-align="center"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1109634421" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">We’ve been using FaciliPay now for about 10 years.” — Ashley Clarke, Managing Director of Lynton &amp; Lynmouth Cliff Railway.</p></blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;">Overview</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Lynton Railway, a historic cliff railway first opened in 1890, has been a vital local attraction for over a century. Operating on a unique water-powered counterbalance system, it remains both a transport link and tourist experience.</p><p style="text-align: left;">To adapt to modern customer expectations and streamline local access, the railway introduced a digital-first membership and payment solution.</p><img src="https://hub.loylap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(79).png?width=1000&amp;height=1000&amp;name=Untitled%20design%20(79).png" alt="Lynton Railway digital membership and passenger experience" width="32%" data-align="left" class="cs-img cs-img-left" style="width: 32%;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Challenge</h2><p style="text-align: left;">The railway relied entirely on on-site ticket purchases. That created friction for regular local passengers who had to queue and pay manually each time they travelled.</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Encourage loyalty and repeat use among locals.</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Improve cash flow for maintenance and enhancements.</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Modernise the passenger experience without undermining the railway’s heritage.</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">“The locals have a card which they load with funds to get a preferential rate to travel on our railway.”</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><img src="https://hub.loylap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(74).png?width=1188&amp;height=1188&amp;name=Untitled%20design%20(74).png" alt="Reloadable card and QR account usage for railway travel" width="35%" data-align="right" class="cs-img cs-img-right" style="width: 35%;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Outcome</h2><p style="text-align: left;">FaciliPay introduced a modern membership system using reloadable cards and QR code accounts. Customers could create an account, load funds, and link both a physical card and digital QR code for seamless access.</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Ease of access: locals can tap their card or scan their phone to ride.</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Increased loyalty: preferential pricing incentivises customers to pre-load funds.</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Improved cash flow: advance payments create reliable upfront funds for repairs, salaries and improvements.</p></li></ul><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">They can load it for the whole season, or just a couple of weeks — it really works well on our system.</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">Proven Results!</span></h2><img src="https://hub.loylap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Images%20for%20Blogs%20(67).png?width=2000&amp;height=1270&amp;name=Images%20for%20Blogs%20(67).png" alt="Lynton Railway results and seasonal fund additions" width="88%" data-align="center" class="cs-img cs-img-center" style="width: 88%;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Key Figures Since 2019</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Since 2019, Lynton Railway has had 553 user accounts created and 1,992 fund additions, with an average load of £31.34.</h3><p style="text-align: left;">Quarterly fund additions show a strong seasonal pattern:</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Q1 2025 recorded 55 fund additions</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Q2 rose to 140 fund additions — a 155% increase.</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;">The surge coincides with better weather and tourist season demand, while preferential pricing encourages advance loading and stronger loyalty during peak periods.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">They come in, they scan their card, and there’s no dramas.</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p>

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