Unicard’s latest case study examines our work for Transport for Wales (TfW), who were looking for a technology partner to work with them to deliver EMV Account-Based Ticketing (ABT).

They needed a solution capable of handling over 6 million customer rail journeys a year in the South Wales Metro area by 2026 initially, and that could also support above-target customer growth for rail travel into the future.

It also had to integrate with their existing mobile app and websites, transitioning these into a comprehensive service proposition that enabled their customers to travel on their services by using a contactless EMV (cEMV) bank card to tap on and tap off public transport, with payments taken from their card.

To meet these requirements, Unicard provided our Ticketing Hub solution, which can process card taps, payments, debt recovery and tokenisation. It also ensures that passengers will always pay the best available fare across multiple modes of transport, without having to worry about pre-purchasing a ticket. The TfW deployment was the first of its kind anywhere in the UK outside of London.

A live pilot scheme running between Newport, Cardiff and Pontyclun was launched in September 2023 to test the Ticketing Hub solution’s capability and functionality. In January 2024 the scheme was opened up to the wider customer base, ahead of a phased expansion of the service to a larger part of the South Wales Metro area throughout 2024.

TfW’s rollout of contactless Pay As You Go using Ticketing Hub across South East Wales is now well under way, with the scheme live across 27 stations, and a further 68 stations to be added in the following weeks.

Chris Williams, Head of Commercial Strategy at TfW, said: “It really has taken a huge team effort, as we continue to transform the customer proposition and improve public transport across the region.”

For the travelling public of Wales, Ticketing Hub provides truly seamless travel, and a retail experience that closely aligns with customer demand for ease of use. Passengers no longer need to queue for tickets, apply for a travel card or change their ticket if their plans change. They can simply use their bank card or payment app on their mobile device to catch a train and enjoy the convenience of contactless travel.

Our solution means TfW can be confident that it is ready to handle any future changes in suppliers, standards, tokens or passenger behaviour, as Ticketing Hub is built to be a multi-reader, multi-operator, multi-modal, multi-acquirer and multi-token solution. If necessary, the system can be extended to support contactless payments across other modes of transport, such as trams and buses.

You can read the full case study here: Case Studies | Unicard