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

  • CTS to integrate bus fareboxes with MARTA Breeze back office
    May 31, 2018
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) will upgrade the farebox system for Atlanta’s Xpress bus service. The company will integrate the system with the back office for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Breeze card. CTS designed and delivered Breeze - an automated fare collection system – in 2006. The project stems from an agreement with the State Roadway & Tollway Authority (SRTA) – a government agency that finances transport initiatives in the US state of Georgia. SRTA expects the fare
    Read More
  • C-TRAN Vancouver opts for electronic fare management
    January 26, 2015
    Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area (C-TRAN) has awarded a contract to Init for the delivery of a state of the art electronic fare collection system in Vancouver, Washington, US. C-TRAN will equip its fleet of more than 100 vehicles with PROXmobil ticket terminals that, when fully operational, will offer passengers both closed loop and open payment fare options. The agreement was made in cooperation with the transit agency of Portland, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Orego
    Read More
  • Caltrans awards $206m for green transport projects
    October 14, 2024
    Programmes include mass transit expansion and purchase of zero-emission vehicles
    Read More
  • Cubic wins mobile ticketing contract for Rhein-Sieg Region, Germany
    November 24, 2017
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been awarded a mobile ticketing contract for Germany’s Rhein-Sieg area which includes Cologne, to enable customers to purchase tickets and manage their online accounts. It will support transport operator Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB) is valued €920,000 (£819,000) for five years plus an estimated €600,000 (£534,000) in transaction fees.
    Read More

Highlighted Content