Cubic completes Sydney Opal Card rollout early

Cubic Transportation Systems has completed the roll out of Sydney’s Opal contactless smartcard ticketing system across all transport modes and connecting multiple operators and commenced operation and maintenance of the Opal system under the ten-year services agreement that is part of the original contract. The contract to build the new electronic ticketing system (ETS) – later branded as the Opal Card – was awarded to the Cubic-led Pearl consortium in 2010.
December 12, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

378 Cubic Transportation Systems has completed the roll out of Sydney’s Opal contactless smartcard ticketing system across all transport modes and connecting multiple operators and commenced operation and maintenance of the Opal system under the ten-year services agreement that is part of the original contract.  

The contract to build the new electronic ticketing system (ETS) – later branded as the Opal Card – was awarded to the Cubic-led Pearl consortium in 2010.  By December 2012, trials for the new smart card ticketing system began on a single ferry service in Sydney and the system was then rolled out progressively across the entire ferry, train, bus, and light rail network. During that time 39,000 pieces of complex electronic devices were installed, linking 5,000 buses, 308 train stations, 40 ferry wharves and 23 light rail stops to the Cubic-designed central computer system that controls the ticketing network.

New South Wales (NSW) Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian announced that the Opal rollout on trains, buses, ferries and light rail for the greater Sydney region had been completed months ahead of schedule.

“Opal has revolutionised public transport in the region, with customers finally enjoying the convenience of electronic ticketing as people in other cities around the world have for many years. It has improved customer service and is making people’s lives easier,” said Baird.

Berejiklian said more people are using public transport thanks to Opal, with weekend patronage on trains up almost 12 per cent and customers no longer standing in lengthy and frustrating Monday morning train station ticket queues every week.

Steve Shewmaker, president of Cubic Transportation Systems, said Opal is a landmark project for Sydney transportation and the world’s geographically largest electronic ticketing system.  

“Opal covers 40,000 square kilometres, an area greater than Holland, Portugal or Switzerland,” he said. “The new system brings the most advanced smartcard ticketing technology available today to people living in and around the four major urban centres of New South Wales.”

Shewmaker also said Opal has been future-proofed to support the addition of new ticketing technologies that Cubic developed and is rolling out in major cities like London and Chicago, including the use of mobile phones and credit cards if desired.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Intelematics expands SUNA real-time traffic network
    September 11, 2014
    Australian telematics solutions provider Intelematics took advantage of the ITS World Congress to announce a major network expansion of its real-time traffic service. In one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest service rollouts, Intelematics will add more than 45,000 square miles (72,500 square kilometres) to the SUNA traffic channel’s RDS-TMC network by December 2014. The network's coverage footprint will be expanded by more than 80 per cent and be available to more than 17.5 million Australian motor
    Read More
  • Speakers confirmed for NeTC
    April 27, 2017
    ITS Australia, host of the National electronic Tolling Conference (NeTC), has confirmed New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey will participate at this year’s event and will make an official address at the Conference Dinner in Sydney. The two day annual NeTC Forum takes place in Sydney on 23-25 May, themed Converging Smarter Tolling Technologies and is the main road tolling event in Asia Pacific and will feature more than 40 Australian and international speakers. ITS Austral
    Read More
  • Integrated transport network proposed for Montréal
    April 25, 2016
    DPQ Infra, a subsidiary of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, has unveiled for its Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM), an integrated public transportation project. Under the proposal, the REM will link downtown Montréal, the South Shore, the West Island (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue), the North Shore (Deux-Montagnes) and the airport in a unified, fully automated, 67km light rail transit (LRT) system comprising 24 stations and operating 20 hours a day, 7 days a week. The solution proposed by CDPQ Infra wi
    Read More
  • Leading transportation authority join’s Cubic’s advisory board
    August 22, 2014
    Cubic Transportation Systems has appointed leading transportation authority Professor David Begg to its advisory board. Professor Begg is a regular advisor to the UK government on strategic road, rail and airport infrastructure projects. He also serves as a non-executive director of Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA), is visiting Professor in Sustainable Transport at Plymouth University and a sought-after media commentator on transportation-related matters. Cubic established its advisory board
    Read More

Highlighted Content