SPANISH company Indra Group has signed a contract worth £545m with Transport for London (TfL) to operate and develop ticketing and access control systems for the British capital’s public transport network, including the London Underground, commuter and light rail lines. The contract will run to 2034 and includes extension options until 2039. If these are exercised, the contract will be worth £845m.
Following a two-year transition period, Indra will take over responsibility for the maintenance, operation and upgrading of ticket gates, validators, ticket vending machines, sales terminals, back-office systems, payment gateways, IT and cybersecurity systems for a network that records over 8.6 million passenger-journeys a day and more than 3.6 billion a year.
Indra will become the sole operator of the TfL ticketing system encompassing nearly 400 Underground stations and almost 300 light rail stops and commuter stations and, as well as 4000 Oyster Card (dedicated payment card) vendors and seven customer service centres.
In partnership with TfL, Indra will implement new technology to develop existing systems, improving efficiency and automating key processes.
A significant development will be the future implementation of account-based ticketing (ABT) on the Oyster Card. This enables greater flexibility when setting new fares, and guarantees the automatic application of the cheapest fare for the passenger.
“London is a leader in the field and an example of innovative and sustainable mobility for the rest of the world's metropolises,” says Ángel Escribano, executive chairman of Indra Group. “We're ready and eager to exceed customer expectations and help improve mobility for everyone living in or visiting the British capital.”
