Integrated Ticketing
 

The has been a lot of poor information on the integrated ticketing project, so RUI went and met with those in charge a while back

Will work on Dublin Bus, Irish Rail and Luas services initially. Bus Eireann and other operators to follow

Fare Structure (note still under discussion and may change)

• It is understood that Dublin Bus services will charge a fixed flat fare regardless of journey (nightlink, airport etc special fares apply) Tag on only
• Irish Rail/Luas tag on/off charge per zone/distance as per current policy
• If you make several journeys within a defined time window the overal fare charged will be less than those journeys if made seperately

Capping of Fares

• If in a 7 day period, (00:01 Sunday to 23:59 Saturday as per current rail ticket rules) your travel by any of the three modes exceeds the 7 day ticket for that mode a cap is applied and you pay the 7 day fare regardless of how much additional travel you make
  
• If your travel across multiple modes exceeds the 7 day fare for the 7 day dual/triple mode ticket are capped at that fare regardless of how much additional travel you make
  
• Single day capping should also exist

Annual Monthly

• Monthly/Annual tickets for single/multiple modes will live on the smartcard
  
• Possible to have monthly rail ticket and have epurse credit and to use that on bus and luas. If you have an expired Irish Rail annual smartcard you can actually load a monthly ticket on it today at a TVM

Status

• The Dublin Bus/Luas epruse ticket is under limited trial. Larger trials to start in coming months
• As with the Irish Rail smartcard project Rail Users Ireland is likely to be involved in the first user testing of the new system. Details in the members area of the forum
• Two RUI committee members have successfully tagged on using the Dublin Bus/Luas smartcard

Some posters on another forum are implying to use the smartcard on dublin bus you will have to scan it on the drivers scanner/printer and the driver enters the value to be deducted based on a fare system similar to the current cash one. However based on the information you provided that is not true.

In my opinion a flat fair for the smartcard is far superior as it would increase passenger loading significantly as there would be no need to interact with the driver. Is the fare system finalised yet? Surely it must be agreed at this stage.

The biggest unknown is Dublin Bus, a flat fare structure is what is planned for. How that works when you hit the outer suburban fares on the bus may result in need to do a specific charge on the card.

The Dublin system is more advanced than London as it does multi day capping

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments you read about the ITS project, unlike others we have actually held an ITS ticket in our hand

The Luas smartcard readers are fully ITS enabled currently

Thanks! Its great to see some decent real info on the project. Two more questions for you; has a name or any branding been decided for ITS and any updated on the expected launch?

As it stands today, the Luas system is fully ITS enabled. In the next few months a number of Dublin Bus routes will be enabled and then all of Dublin Bus. Irish Rail will follow on from that

Rail Users Ireland members will probably get a chance to try out the smartcard before it goes live. We had some fun with Irish Rail's system http://www.railusers.ie/news/news.ph...2010&no=1.html

No idea as to the name yet, that falls under the National Transport Authorities remit to create a single brand for transport in Dublin. I understand a logo has been chosen, have yet to see it.

I'll be looking forward to the early review of the system so! I had become curious of the branding after spotting the "Transport for Ireland" logo that is stuck to the DB RTPI signs.

One of the problems in the past was the logo issue. The CIE group wanted its companies logos on the back. The Transport 21 progress in motion logo will be on the back. The front is where the ITS logo will be

I might have held a ITS card in my hard but it was a testing blank so nothing printed on it.

The biggest unknown is Dublin Bus fares.

Any further updates? With the supposed launch at Easter its fairly quiet.

It won't be available at Easter

Probably close to end of testing of the Luas+Bus ticket by then on a handful of routes, but Irish Rail won't be onboard until the end of the Summer.Its being done on a staged basis

I mistakenly thought the first stage was launching then. That's disappointing, especially with the fare increasing. Any info on the expected launch timetable?

Is anyone here involved in the testing of the bus/luas smartcard? The RPA website claims that customers are involved in live testing that is currently underway.

Link to RPA site

The current tests are limited to only a few bus routes. I have used a bus/luas iTS card briefly last year

We are waiting for the next phase when Irish Rail joins

I've now got a list of bus routes mainly northside coast + airport + 747/748 for current tests

I can finally confirm that integrated ticketing tests with non RPA staff are ongoing

These tests are limited to a number of bus routes and the Luas

Are these epurse tests or annual smart card?

Annual

For various reasons I can't give much information. The members area has further details

Any more developments on that card front? I hear Leo Varadkar has said he wants it in action by the end of the year! Don't tell me its been pushed back from later summer.

I have one right now and it works and it will be in place on Dublin Bus + Luas by start Summer and on Irish Rail by start Autumn and Bus Eireann in early 2012

Various testing phases to complete and the next one starts first week of April, epurse trials

Cheers Mark! Sounds like its still on track so. Is your card branded yet?

I'm not allowed say either way. Nothing is final yet

Have the epurse trials begun yet? Any more updates that can be revealed yet?

No, that will be a while yet, but likely before summer.

I'll see if I can post a photo of the ITS card in action, though sadly I can't show you the card itself just what the reader says

There are a series of technical upgrades ongoing on Luas and Irish Rail to address some issues with performance. Fairly major improvement already achieved. Nothing major, the RUI test group very quickly verified the problem which was known previously. We quite deliberately opted not to be given a list of known bugs when we started testing. The good news is this modification will actually benefit the existing smartcard systems in place as it is not ITS specific its very low level

On a most practical level we have requested that every card reader be given a clear ID number, will come in handy in the future. Irish Rail implemented a similar request from us last year, it really helps when trying to report a problem

As soon as phase two starts an email will be sent to all RUI members offering a chance to take part. We maybe able to expand to offering some forum members also but RUI members will get first call

Is it planned to have all bus routes and Irish rail included in the next trial?

Thanks lads! It'd be great to see some pictures of it in action. I've been waiting for this project for an extremely long time.

I would be immensely grateful if there is any extra space on the trial. :p Thanks again.

There are 1000+ buses in the DB fleet so it takes time to roll out the gear. There is a depot back end as well which has to be in place.

Summerhill is the only depot live currently as it is the small and offers a number of interesting routes such as the 747/748 where different fare structures apply.

Each depot will be rolled out in turn and all will be in place by mid Summer, though Donnybrook will be last so most of the southside is off limits till then. Irish Rail will be rolled out once DB is fully rolled out. Full Luas coverage is in place currently. Technical system testing is underway with Irish Rail already

The cards issued in the phase 2 trials (1000+) will be useable on the public system when it arrives. The phase 1 cards (less than 100) wont work properly on the final version due major software changes.

Phase 2 trials will run until public launch which will have DB, IE and Luas part of the trial includes toping up so be under no illusion you have to pay like a normal passenger

For various reasons not all of the ITS card can be shown enough to show it works. This is not the final version so all the logos and numbers have been removed
Attachment 1326

Become a member

As we approach the summer has the trail been extended yet? Any further developments to relate? I last read that the NTA expected a full launch in early September.

There are limited trials of the epurse card underway. There is also a solution to one of the major problems we saw on our tests

Is the integrated ticketing limited to just dublin commuter trains, will I for example be able to buy an intercity ticket online and load it onto my card?

Dublin only, but with plans for Cork under review

Do you know if the point-to-point commuter passes are likely to be working before the end of August. My pass is up in August and I am getting royally sick of the machines in Connolly that spit it out onto to the floor.

It is almost as if they have trained the machines to behave like the staff. Once a week or so for a joke the machine spits my card back out the slot it goes in rather than running it through and it ends up on the floor because my hand is at the exit slot.

When I mentioned this to the guy on the gate, he just glowered at me but then I guess he must be pretty busy sitting there and hasn't got time to be nice to the customers.

Point to point should be smartcards right now

I've been using a smart card for my annual point-to-point ticket since January this year.

The Taxsaver office will replace any rail only point to point ticket for a smartcard for free if the existing ticket is defective

I might run a magnet over the back of mine then. The ticket has faded so bad that it could really be anybody on it at this point. But I guess I've only got three months to wait now.

Take the 10 minutes to get it sorted, in the land of smartcards things are much easier, plus if you lose it its 10 euro to replace regardless of the months left/value

When it expires you can use it as a pay as you go epurse card in Dublin, the ticket machine and website will allow you to top it up

Have they set a solid launch/marketing date yet?

LEAP Card
 

Article Irish Indo today - http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-2667075.html

Is the name LEAP not an unfortunate title for (among other things) a Train card?

There's only 10K Luas smartcards in circulation?!