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

  • Muvo e-ticketing card launched in South Africa
    September 10, 2012
    The successful launch of the Muvo SmartCard marks the beginning of the modern era of e-ticketing in the Durban region in South Africa. The Muvo card replaces ordinary tickets and functions as a kind of electronic wallet, allowing cash or ticket products to be loaded on to it at electronic terminals. As part of the new infrastructure, the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) purchased the Almex Electronic Fare Collection system with ticket printer from German manufacturer Hoeft & Wessel. The system has been
    Read More
  • Cubic names new general manager of Melbourne transport operations
    September 25, 2015
    Following its recent short-listing in the request for tender stage of the tender process to run the myki system in Melbourne, Australia, when the current contract expires in 2016, Cubic Transportation Systems has appointed Bruce Were as general manager of the company’s operations in Victoria. Were will have responsibility for handling the myki smart card ticketing project and will lead a Cubic team in Melbourne that is dedicated to working on the tender process, which is expected to be completed in mid-2
    Read More
  • Cubic adds NFC capability to smartphones
    November 4, 2014
    Cubic Transportation Systems is to integrate On Track Innovations’ (oti) Wave near field communication (NFC) device into its NextWave mobile mass transit platform, adding NFC capability to virtually any smartphone or tablet through the audio jack. Launched in September 2013, Cubic’s NextWave platform simplifies the complexities of deploying mobile services by providing a cloud-based solution that integrates closed- and open-loop contactless fare systems, payment processors, mobile networks, NFC platforms
    Read More
  • Kapsch to expand Belarus toll road network
    August 18, 2015
    Kapsch TrafficCom has been awarded the contract to expand the BelToll toll road network in Belarus by an additional 323 kilometres, in line with the government’s long-term infrastructure development program. Kapsch is both developer and operator of the toll collection system under a twenty-year contract. Many recently upgraded and reconstructed roads throughout the whole country will be affected by the BelToll extension, as well as parts of the M5 and M6 highways. When the extension is completed, the tol
    Read More

Highlighted Content