Here at the National Transport Authority, we are overseeing the most comprehensive overhaul of ticketing and fare payment in the history of public transport in Ireland. Next Generation Ticketing (or NGT) will transform how millions of us travel by bus, Luas and train and will mean that as a customer, you will be able to pay for your journey by tapping your bank card, mobile phone, or other smart device.
Our customers already love the contactless payment experience that is offered by the TFI Leap Card for fares on bus, Luas and DART. Since its introduction in 2011, more than 9 million Leap cards have been issued, accounting for over €2.7 billion in fare payments.
However, Leap is now a legacy system and it has reached its limit in terms of its underlying software and hardware technologies.
That’s why we are taking the next step forward by investing in NGT, a smarter and simpler way to pay, which makes it easier, quicker and more convenient for the customer.
Our team is already making huge strides in making it a reality, and work on designing and implementing the new system is powering ahead. But it’s a complex and multi-faceted project which means that realistically it will be 2028 before customers will be able to benefit.
NGT is more than just a new ticketing system—it’s a smarter, more flexible, and future ready way to travel. Whether you’re commuting, studying, or exploring, NGT will make public transport easier for everyone.
What will NGT mean for customers?
NGT puts customers convenience at the centre of the fare payment process·
- First and foremost it will enable customers to pay their fare using their bank card, mobile phone or other device.
- It will eliminate the need for a physical card so streamlines fare collection.
- It will mean quicker boarding of buses and quicker journeys.
That’s not all. It will also provide greater flexibility for customers; and charge you the lowest fare available for your journeys. It will continue discounts for young adults and students; and offer a new app so you can store tickets digitally
How are we implementing NGT?
The NTA has engaged Indra Sistemas S.A. a highly experienced international company to develop the nationwide transport ticketing system. With NTA, Indra is now designing and building NGT for Ireland’s public transport. The scope is extensive and covers a national rollout for all Transport for Ireland bus, tram, and train services. The first phase of the implementation will be in the Greater Dublin Area.
The Greater Dublin Area project will involve the replacement of thousands of existing ticket machines and validators with new NGT devices on buses, at Luas stops and at Irish Rail stations. This requires the installation of new ticket gates and validators, electrical connections, and communication links. It will also see the introduction of a modern cloud-hosted, Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) system; with all its attendant security, privacy, regulatory and statutory considerations. In other words, it’s a massive project.
What are the complexities?
To understand how NGT will be implemented it is important to recognise the many interlinking project elements.
NGT’s National Footprint
NGT will be deployed on all subsidised public transport services under the TFI brand and across all modes- buses, trams, and trains. In terms of physical hardware alone, this means that equipment such as validators will have to be designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned for thousands of vehicles, stops and stations, starting with the Greater Dublin Area.
This will involve significant levels of activity at depot and station level, that must be carried out while minimising disruption to services.
Concurrent Operations
One of the more challenging aspects of the rollout is that while NGT infrastructure is being implemented, customers must still be able to pay their fare. This will require both the old and new ticket systems running alongside each other during transitional phases.
System Design
The ticketing software and data will move to a cloud-hosted environment, enabling scalable and flexible account management. New financial, business intelligence and customer support systems (e.g. linking to the Consolidated Contact Centre) need to be designed, installed and extensively tested to deliver a high-quality product and excellent customer experience.
NGT is required to be secure and compliant with the latest applicable security and financial compliance standards. This means meeting all of the Payment Card Industry Data Standard requirements covering in particular the security of cardholder data in the system.
- Bank card transactions demands rigorous cybersecurity and strict compliance with financial regulations.
- This means meeting all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requirements covering:
1. Protection of customer data (e.g. encryption of data, secure networks etc)
2. Constant monitoring, testing and information security procedures and policies
When will I be able to pay my fare with my phone?
The NTA’s objective is to deliver this project as efficiently and effectively as possible. While the overall project will take some time to complete, significant progress is already being made. The project will be delivered in several phases, with a number of key milestones along the way.
Work on designing and manufacturing validators and other ticketing equipment for vehicles, stops and stations is well under way. In 2027 customers will start to see some of these validators as we install them for testing purposes. Part of this is about testing compatibility with Leap Cards and Free Travel Passes to ensure customers can continue using their existing cards on the new validators. These validators have been designed to comply with the latest accessibility legislation and will deliver a consistent user experience across all TFI public transport services.
The new validators will continue to accept Leap Cards and Public Services Cards (PSC) for Free Travel, ensuring no disruptions to customers. Existing Leap and PSC customers can continue to use these cards for the time being until those systems are replaced. This will ensure that these customers continue to receive all the benefits without having to change how they use public transport services.
In 2028 contactless payments by debit/credit card, phone and bank card will become a reality, initially on Luas and Dublin city bus services, and by the end of the year, on all DART and rail services in the Greater Dublin Area.