Washington metro gets Cubic ticketing

Cubic Transportation Systems has been awarded a contract for more than US$8 million to convert existing paper magnetic fare card vending machines to sales and reload devices for SmarTrip, the contactless smart card for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The project is part of the agency’s plan to eliminate paper ticketing from its fare system to all contactless media by spring 2016. Cubic will upgrade more than 500 machines with hardware kits including smart card readers and re
July 29, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

378 Cubic Transportation Systems has been awarded a contract for more than US$8 million to convert existing paper magnetic fare card vending machines to sales and reload devices for SmarTrip, the contactless smart card for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).  The project is part of the agency’s plan to eliminate paper ticketing from its fare system to all contactless media by spring 2016.

Cubic will upgrade more than 500 machines with hardware kits including smart card readers and related software on all Metrorail lines, including the Silver Line to Dulles Airport that opened two days ago.  Cubic also produced and installed the fare collection system to the new line under a separate contract.

Cubic has been involved with WMATA’s fare collection since the system opened.   The company delivered the original magnetics-based system in use since the early 1970s, and designed and delivered the SmarTrip system that opened to the public in 1999. 

“We’re pleased to be part of WMATA’s transition to a paperless system, as well as having been so involved throughout the agency’s entire fare collection history,” said Matt Newsome, senior vice president and general manager, Cubic Transportation Systems, Americas. “Cubic brought contactless technology to the region – in fact, it was the first contactless system for transit in the US.  WMATA set the standard that other agencies followed.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Thales to upgrade four London Underground lines
    August 4, 2015
    French transportation group Thales has been awarded a £750 million (US$1,160 million) contract by Transport for London (TfL) to upgrade four London Underground (LU) lines. Under the contract, Thales will modernise the signalling and train control system on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. Known as the Sub-Surface Lines (SSL), the four lines form a complex network of interlinked routes with numerous junctions which comprise 40 per cent of the LU network and carry up to thre
    Read More
  • Authorities switch on to all electric buses as costs tumble
    January 9, 2018
    Alan Dron looks at changes in bus propulsion as cities look to improve air quality and seek to reduce maintenance costs. Despite the ending of various incentives to adopt alternative fuels, the introduction of electric buses by US transit authorities is picking up speed as performance improves, costs drop and air quality considerations become increasingly significant. More US bus manufacturers are introducing zero-emission models and some recent contracts will see many more passengers getting their first
    Read More
  • RIPTA install fare management platform for bus fleet
    March 7, 2018
    The Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) has selected Init to implement an account-based electronic fare and back-office revenue management system on their fixed-route fleet of over 240 buses. The platform is intended to allow passengers to board faster and receive more convenient fare options. Once completed, the solution will allow passengers to pay fares by tapping their card or mobile device on a validator. Init’s Mobilevario will calculate the fare, validate the transaction against the
    Read More
  • Conduent to upgrade Ohio toll system
    July 23, 2020
    Equipment improvements along 216 lanes include toll collector-operated plazas
    Read More

Highlighted Content