Railway and public transport ticketing news
News about railway and public transport ticketing technology, suppliers and policy, from Railway Gazette International.
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NewsEuropean Commission offers thousands of DiscoverEU rail passes to young people
EUROPE: The European Commission has opened applications for the latest round of the DiscoverEU programme, which offers 18 year olds the chance to explore Europe by train for free.
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NewsOpen payments kick off ahead of World Cup
USA: Seattle’s Sound Transit has worked with INIT to deploy ‘Tap to Pay’ open payment on its Orca fare system, enabling users of seven light rail, bus and ferry operators in the Puget Sound region to pay using a contactless credit or debit card or a mobile wallet.
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In depthData: Standards hold key to modal integration
The development of an open data exchange toolkit is the latest sign that progress is being made on the thorny question of multimodal ticketing and journey information across rail, air and urban transport, as UIC’s Bertrand Minary explains to Nick Kingsley.
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Rail Business UKTrain ticket changes will push corporate travellers to cars, says Business Travel Association
UK: The Business Travel Association says changes to rail ticket refund rules will penalise the ‘lowest-risk, highest-yielding customers’ and give travel management companies and corporate clients insufficient time to adapt.
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NewsConduent integrates EMV ticketing in Italy
ITALY: Conduent Transportation has launched what it says is Italy’s first EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) contactless payment system to be integrated across multiple transport operators.
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NewsHitachi Rail launches next-generation ticket validator
INTERNATIONAL: Hitachi Rail unveiled its BV700 next-generation validator at the Transport Ticketing Global exhibition in London, saying the design builds on on the proven performance of the previous generation BV600 units.
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NewsEstonia to develop unified public transport ticketing data platform
ESTONIA: Travel tech company Turnit is to develop a prototype unified public transport ticketing data platform as part of a project to make sustainable travel options more attractive.
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In depthTicketing: Mobile and contactless payment expand in Mexico City
The launch of mobile and contactless ticketing and the phasing out of paper tickets from the Mexico City metro are the latest developments in an ambitious modernisation and expansion programme, as Michael Dreyer explains.
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Rail Business UKAI booking tool shows that travel demand from disabled passengers is higher than thought
UK: Software developer Transreport says that the market for travel by disabled and older people is higher than had previously been thought, as until now data has reflected ease of access to the booking system rather than the underlying demand.
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Rail Business UKEast Midlands Railway expands Secret Fare discounts
UK: East Midlands Railway has expanded the Secret Fare scheme operated in partnership with Seatfrog, which offers savings of up to 50% in exchange for being flexible with departure times.
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Rail Business UKRailcard validation to be trialled
UK: A scheme to check that Railcards are being used properly is to be trialled this year, the Department for Transport has announced.
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Rail Business UKConsolidated Delay Repay service to include third-party rail ticket retailers
UK: Passengers will in future be able to claim compensation for late trains directly through the third-party retailers who sold their ticket, the Department for Transport has confirmed.
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NewsLuxembourg modernises on-train ticket sales
LUXEMBOURG: Bixolon has supplied SPP-R310 Bluetooth-enabled mobile printers to support national railway CFL’s transition to a smartphone-based platform.
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Rail Business UKTicket validators go live at NI Railways stations
UK: Platform validators are now live in the latest milestone in Translink NI Railways’ Future Ticketing System programme.
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NewsTrainline CEO Jody Ford to step down
INTERNATIONAL: Third-party rail and coach ticket retailer Trainline has begun the search for a new CEO after Jody Ford announced his intention to step down after more than six years at the company.
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Rail Business UKScotRail to introduce £10 minimum fare for ticketless travel
UK: In an effort tackle fare evasion, ScotRail is to introduce a £10 minimum fare for people who purposely board a train without a valid ticket. This will in many cases be more than the standard fare, particularly for short journeys.
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Rail Business UKMasabi acquires customer information and ticketing system supplier Passenger Technology Group
UK: Global fare collection technology company Masabi has acquired Passenger Technology Group Ltd, which provides white-label mobile applications, websites and real-time information tools used by public transport authorities and operators across the country.
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Rail Business UKTrainline calls for third party ticket sellers to be able to offer ‘one-click’ Delay Repay
UK: Trainline has launched a ‘Fair Play on Delay Repay’ campaign, calling on the government to give third party ticket retailers access to systems which would enable them to offer ‘one-click’ Delay Repay for compensating passengers whose trains are late.
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NewsBooking platform Kombo acquires KelBillet
FRANCE: Rail, bus and air ticket booking platform Kombo has acquired multimodal travel price comparison website KelBillet.
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Rail Business UKTransport for London looks to add bar code readers to Underground ticket gates
UK: Transport for London is looking at options to install bar code readers on its ticket gates. This would enable National Rail tickets for through journeys which include a cross-London transfer by London Underground to be issued electronically.