Railway and public transport ticketing news – Page 9
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Rail Business UKTicket office closure proposals scrapped after passenger watchdogs object
UK: The government has asked train operators to withdraw proposals to close most station ticket offices in England, after watchdog bodies Transport Focus and London TravelWatch formally objected. Announcing the decision on October 31, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government would ‘continue our work to ...
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Metro Report InternationalTicketing collaboration aims to simplify deployment
INTERNATIONAL: Ticketing technology supplier Masabi and payments processing company Worldpay are collaborating to supply off-the-shelf EMV payment systems that can be easily implemented and operated by public transport agencies large and small. Operators can start by enabling open payments, and then upgrade to other modules of ...
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Rail Business UKLondon Day Travelcards saved
UK: An agreement has been reached to continue the sale of Day Travelcards, which offer unlimited travel on most public transport in London and can be bought in combination with rail tickets to the capital from elsewhere. ‘The offer now on the table saves a much-valued ...
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Metro Report InternationalINIT selected for Atlanta fare collection contract
USA: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has selected INIT to supply a new automated fare collection system. The AFC 2.0 contract is expected to be signed in late 2023 or early 2024, with an expected value of over $100m for the initial design, installation and deployment, ...
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Metro Report InternationalPhiladelphia launches contactless payment
USA: Philadelphia transport agency SEPTA has rolled out contactless payment on its metro, light rail and bus services, with commuter rail services to follow in early 2024. The technology was supplied by Conduent under an ongoing fare collection systems contract. Fares are the same as using ...
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In depthIndia: IR’s digital journey
Indian Railways has embarked on a further wave of digitalisation as it continues to transform its operations and services, explains Raghu Dayal.
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NewsMacron proposes German-style national rail pass
FRANCE: The French government is examining proposals for a national rail pass modelled on the Deutschland-Ticket introduced in Germany in May this year. The German pass gives one month’s unlimited travel on local and regional trains for a flat fare of €49, and the French government ...
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Metro Report InternationalLight rail certified ticket validators deployed
USA: Pittsburgh Regional Transit is the first transport agency to deploy a version of Masabi’s Just Ride Validator which has been specifically designed and certified for light rail applications. This completes the installation of Masabi mobile ticketing equipment on PRT’s 700 buses, 80 light rail vehicles ...
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Metro Report InternationalDouble-deck trams offer passengers more payment options
CHINA: Thales and Golong International Technology Co have supplied an integrated electronic system to increase the number of fare payment options on Hong Kong’s traditional tramway. RATP Dev’s Hong Kong Tramways Ltd has a fleet of 165 trams and carries 150 000 passengers/day. ...
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Rail Business UKScotRail to trial all-day Off Peak fares
UK: Off Peak tickets on routes where fares are controlled by ScotRail will be valid all day under a six-month trial running from October 3 until March 29 2024. The Scottish government-funded project aims to encourage people to travel by rail instead of car. ScotRail said ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment publishes Mobility-as-a-Service code of practice
UK: The Department for Transport has published a code of practice to help organisations involved in Mobility-as-a-Service schemes navigate the technical, commercial and regulatory challenges, including ensuring that accessibility is taken into account. The guidance published on August 30 is aimed at technology companies, transport operators ...
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Metro Report InternationalWashington metro deploys higher and stronger ticket gates
USA: Washington DC area metro operator WMATA has begun installing higher and stronger ticket gates as part of efforts to reduce fare evasion. An L-shape door panel minimise gaps between the openings, and the increase in height from 710 to 1 400 mm makes it harder ...
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Metro Report InternationalNorth-South Commuter Railway contracts awarded
PHILIPPINES: The Department of Transportation has signed the final three civil works contracts for construction of the south commuter section of the 147 km North-South Commuter Railway in the Manila area. The 11·6bn pesos contract CP S-01 covering the construction of 1·2 km of the route ...
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NewsPortuguese national rail pass launched
PORTUGAL: A €49 one-month national rail pass has been launched by operator CP with government funding. The initiative was proposed in parliament in 2022, and funded under the 2023 national budget. The ticket is available to residents and non-residents, and is sold exclusively on the CP ...
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Metro Report InternationalDigital rouble to be tested on the Moskva Metro
RUSSIA: Moskva Metro is to test fare payment using the digital rouble which is being developed by Bank of Russia to act as a national currency alongside cash. An initial 13 banks are to begin testing the digital rouble from August 15, with gradual introduction into ...
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Metro Report InternationalUnicard adds EMV ticketing capabilities with Ecebs acquisition
UK: Transport ticketing and payment company Unicard has added contactless EMV payment to its portfolio with the acquisition of smart ticketing business Ecebs from Visa. Unicard has also signed an agreement to use Visa’s Cybersource global payments platform. This gives Unicard an opportunity to offer services ...
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NewsNSW TrainLink booking system contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has commissioned Estonian company Turnit and its local partner Spiketech to supply a replacement booking system for NSW TrainLink long-distance services. This will provide an end-to-end digital platform to plan, book and pay for regional train and coach services used ...
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In depthInterview: Investing to create an inclusive metro
One of few metros around the world which does not receive a subsidy for day-to-day operations, Metro de Santiago can still allocate around 30% of its farebox revenues for future investment. General Manager Felipe Bravo tells Benjámin Zelki about its expansion plans, signalling upgrades, rolling stock renewal and achieving social inclusion goals.
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Rail Business UK‘Worst case scenario’ put forward as ticket office closure consultation extended
UK: In what appears to be a rushed decision, the consultation period for passengers to give views on the proposed closure of ticket offices has been extended to September 1.
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Rail Business UKViewpoint: Passenger experience must be protected if ticket offices close
If the proposed closure of station ticket offices in England is not purely about cost-cutting, then carefully considered customer-centric interventions will be needed to make it work, argues David Watts, Managing Director of human-centred design agency Mima.