Photo taken on March 11 shows a train leaving a subway station in Southwest China's Chongqing, on March 11, 2019. Haitangxi Station, a light rail station on a loop line in Chongqing, became popular online for its vibrant appearance at night. [Photo/IC]

Passengers no longer have to pay cash for a ticket when taking the light rail in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, as the city has been promoting QR code tickets since this year, according to local authorities.

Chongqing City Transportation Development and Investment Group said the mountainous city, known for its hot pot, has introduced QR codes into the city's rail traffic network.

The company said that by the end of this year, passengers are expected to commute without paper tickets.

This move is to make it easier for people taking metros and light rails, as well as meet the consumption habits of young people, as data showed more than 60 percent of commuters in Chongqing use mobile payments for tickets instead of paying by cash or card.

More than 160 stations along the rail network have completed or are installing QR code scanners in all gate machines, and the installation is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

Chongqing has eight rail lines in operation with a daily passenger volume of about 3 million.