COMMUTERS between Oxford Parkway and London Marylebone will be the first to trial a new ticketless scheme to guarantee the cheapest fares.

A new app, which tracks commuters' movements through the network and then charges them the cheapest price for their journey, will be trialled in a number of Oxford stations on the Chiltern Railways network.

The technology will be used by 60 passengers using Oxford Parkway, Islip, or Bicester Village, on their way to London Marylebone over a twelve-month period from December.

The app uses bluetooth beacons at ticket gates and geo-location tools to map passengers' journeys.

The passenger will then be billed at the end of the day straight to their bank account and a "best value guarantee" will ensure they get the cheapest tickets for their distance covered.

Chiltern Railways managing director Dave Penney said: "This trial could be the next evolution of rail ticketing and is part of Chiltern’s and parent company Arriva’s commitment to provide the best experience for customers.

"We know passengers want to purchase tickets easily and travel for the best price; this app-based concept eliminates the need to pre-purchase a ticket.

"Bluetooth sensors and geolocation tracking are used to open ticket gates and determine journeys taken, then the customer is billed at the end of the day with a best value guarantee ensuring they are charged the appropriate fare for their journeys."

The rail firm said the 60 passengers would be targeted to ensure it wasn't just the most tech-savvy travellers using the new technology.

If successful it could be rolled out across the county's railway network.