Cubic Awarded Contract for New Smart Card Fare Collection System for Bus and Rail Transport in Southern Sweden

This contract is the latest element in Cubic’s presence and commitment to the Scandinavian transit industry. Cubic acquired the Danish company Scanpoint in 1994 and renamed it Cubic Nordic. Scanpoint had long been a major supplier of automatic fare collection systems in Scandinavia. Cubic has strengthened Cubic Nordic, and is committed to supporting the Scandinavian industry.

In fact, this contract replaces Skanetrafiken’s existing ScanPoint-supplied magnetics-based fare collection system for the transport operator’s 56 rail stations and 950 buses.

The new system will provide South Sweden’s rail and bus commuters with greater convenience by speeding up boarding times and allowing them the option of using the Internet to automatically reload value onto their smart cards. It also will reduce the risk of fraud and keep distractions to a minimum for the bus drivers and train conductors, freeing them to focus on fast, safe, on-time service to the travelers.

The new system will consist of operating software, communications, driver control units and validators for buses; and ticket vending machines, station validators and handheld devices for rail. Cubic will also supply and install its Nextfare™ Central System for Skanetrafiken’s back office computing system. The contract also includes an option for customer services and maintenance.

Cubic’s open architecture system design allows the other transport operators in southern Sweden to join the “Resekortet” smart card-based system now or in the future. The five other counties in Southern Sweden: Blekingetrafiken, Länstrafiken Kronoberg, Hallandstrafiken, Jönköping Länstrafik and Kalmar Läntrafik, have indicated their intent to sign on to be part of a regional system.

As an added bonus, the new ticketing system will also be compatible with Denmark’s national TravelCard system. The use of common design and engineering standards in developing smart card-based ticketing systems is a growing phenomenon, as it provides a common platform for fare collection among multiple transport operators for large geographic regions, such as Scandinavia.

“Resekortet is the most crucial and important public transport ticketing project in Southern Sweden in many years,” said Claus Klitholm, managing director of Cubic Nordic. “It will also provide a link between Sweden’s and Denmark’s new contactless smart card-based systems, which will add even greater convenience for commuters who travel on both sides of the border. Our experience in developing and operating a complex system, such as the PRESTIGE/Oyster Card project for London Transport, proves we can meet the requirements and challenges facing transport operators today.”

The “Resekortet” system for Skane is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2006.