Indra Group to equip the entire Washington D.C. subway network with an advanced customer terminal system
The company continues to boost its presence and standing in the United States, in keeping with its growth strategy; contract with one of the country’s leading public transportation agencies comes in the wake of major air traffic, connected vehicle, tolling and communication projects
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has entrusted Indra Group to supply up to 450 Customer Terminals for the nearly 100 stations on five lines of the U.S. capital’s subway network, which is used every day by more than 500,000 passengers
The terminals that Indra will produce at its new factory in Kansas are accessible and multilingual, they streamline the purchasing process and they integrate the latest technologies, including user account-based ticketing, payments with bank cards and smartphones, and digital wallets
Indra Group, a company at the forefront of technologies for mobility and public transport management around the world, has been commissioned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), one of the largest public transportation agencies in the United States, to renew the automatic ticket vending system of the U.S. capital’s entire subway network. The purpose of the contract, which will start with a base amount totaling $38.9 million and potentially rise to $75 million with all options included, is to improve accessibility and passenger experience.
The project includes the design, manufacture, supply, and subsequent maintenance (over the next 15 years) of new, state-of-the-art Customer Terminals to replace the current Fare Vending Machines (FVMs). A total of 450 terminals will be installed at 98 stations on the five subway lines managed by WMATA, as well as at WMATA’s training and testing facilities.
With this contract, Indra Group gives a major boost to the presence of its public transportation solutions in the United States, following recent successes achieved with its innovative air traffic, Open Road Tolling (ORT), V2X connected vehicle, and communication technologies. It strengthens the fulfillment of the company’s growth strategy, which includes the recently opened manufacturing facility in Olathe, Kansas, where part of the production process on the new Customer Terminals for WMATA will be performed.
“We’re delighted to have become a technological partner of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority with this project, as it strengthens Indra Group’s leadership of public transportation technology, with which we’ve secured highly significant contracts worldwide in recent years,” said Raúl Ripio, Senior-Vice President of Mobility Business at Indra Group. “Indra is making a firm commitment to the United States, where we’ve just opened a new factory to develop the next generation of systems for the FAA (the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration) and we’re undertaking trailblazing projects for traffic, connected vehicles and much more.”
"Metro serves hundreds of thousands of customers every day, and we’re focused on making every part of their journey easier”, said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “These new Customer Terminals will provide a more cost-effective, intuitive experience while supporting the payment technologies customers increasingly expect. This investment modernizes a critical part of our system and creates a platform that can adapt as technology and customer needs continue to evolve”.
Improved accessibility and enhanced user experience
Indra’s new equipment will transform the user experience on the Washington D.C. subway network by replacing existing fare vending machines with a more advanced, intuitive and visually pleasing Customer Terminals. The new terminals will provide universal accessibility through larger high-resolution touch screens and an enlarged smartphone-type interface, which will guide passengers with clear instructions and simple flows in accordance with users’ unique needs.
The terminals comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards through natural language assisted audio, a high-contrast screen, and tactile elements to ensure the elimination of potential barriers.
The new system will also enhance the experience of travelers from other countries or who speak languages other than English, thanks to its support in up to 15 languages in alignment with WMATA’s Language Assistance Plan.
State-of-the-art technologies
With open and scalable modular architecture, Indra’s terminals are capable of integrating highly advanced technologies, including ABT (account-based ticketing), bank card and smartphone payments (EMV), and digital wallets for mobile phones. This will support their constant evolution to adapt them to the needs of WMATA and its passengers over the coming decades. Similarly, Indra’s solution is designed for seamless integration into the existing back office and access control systems of the Washington subway network.
With industrial hardware, real-time self-diagnoses and the ability to function as an information kiosk, Indra Group’s solution will bring greater reliability and operability, together with a more flexible, inclusive and future-proof experience. Indra Group ticketing projects in the United States also include the last two generations of automatic vending machines on the MetroLink light rail system in St. Louis, Missouri.