FAIRTIQ launches nationwide pilot with Slovakia’s national railway operator

Bernese mobility start-up FAIRTIQ has entered a new phase of expansion with a one-year nationwide pilot in Slovakia, its first collaboration with a national railway operator in Central and Eastern Europe.

FAIRTIQ, the Bern-based leader in mobile pay-as-you-go (MPAYG) ticketing, has partnered with ZSSK, Slovakia’s national railway operator, to make train travel more seamless across the country’s entire domestic network. The pilot covers both regular commuter lines and iconic tourist routes such as the Tatra Electric Railway and the Cogwheel Railway.

With FAIRTIQ, passengers begin and end their journey by sliding the app’s Start and Stop buttons, eliminating the need to purchase tickets in advance or navigate fare zones. “More than 52% of our customers already use digital services to purchase tickets via mobile or online platforms,” said Peter Helexa, CEO of ZSSK. “FAIRTIQ is therefore a natural continuation for us on the path toward simpler and more convenient train travel.”

The collaboration builds on FAIRTIQ’s earlier regional launch in the Czech Republic and marks a significant milestone for the company’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe. Beyond passenger convenience, the pilot will generate anonymised data on travel patterns, enabling ZSSK to optimise its services while maintaining strict privacy standards.

Expanding across Europe

Alongside the Slovakian initiative, FAIRTIQ has also launched pilots in the United Kingdom and Norway. In South Yorkshire, a nine-month trial on the Sheffield–Doncaster route is being carried out in partnership with the Rail Delivery Group and Northern Trains, supported by TransPennine Express and Arriva CrossCountry. The project is part of the UK government’s broader Plan for Rail reform.

In Norway, FAIRTIQ has partnered with Brakar, the public transport authority for Buskerud County, to test the country’s first distance-based mobile ticketing system. Over one year, passengers will pay fares based on the distance travelled, moving away from the traditional zone model.

This latest expansion follows FAIRTIQ’s earlier projects across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France, and Denmark, where in 2022 it began digitizing Denmark’s electronic ticketing system. With more than 65 million trips already made using the app, FAIRTIQ continues to demonstrate how Western Switzerland innovation is shaping the future of mobility in Europe.