Indra Group to take over operation of London’s ticketing and access control systems

Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Indra Group a major contract to operate, maintain, and develop the ticketing and access control systems across London’s public transport network, covering the Tube, buses, trams, ferries, and other services in the metropolitan area.

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The contract, initially valued at £524m and potentially rising to £845m if extension options are exercised, runs until 2034 with possible extensions through 2039. Indra will manage turnstiles, ticket vending machines, validators, retail sales terminals, portable inspection equipment, and the central back-office, payment, and cybersecurity systems that support the network.

The award marks a transition from Cubic Transportation Systems, which has been the long-term operator of London’s Oyster card system and associated ticketing infrastructure. Following an almost two-year transition period, Indra will assume full responsibility, becoming TfL’s sole provider for ticketing and access systems. The company will also work with TfL on future upgrades, including the implementation of account-based ticketing.

TfL’s ticketing ecosystem handles approximately 8.6m journeys per day, totaling over 3.6bn journeys annually, making it one of the world’s most complex urban transport ticketing networks.

In a statement, Indra said the project would ensure the reliability and security of London’s ticketing systems while supporting the digital transformation of public transport services.

TfL director of technology strategy and revenue, Shashi Verma, said, “Millions of journeys are made on our public transport system every day, and it is vital that customers can trust the ticketing system to ensure they are charged the correct fare.

“We look forward to working with Indra group on the next evolution of our Oyster and contactless ticketing system.

“I also want to thank everyone at Cubic Transportation Systems for their work and innovation in delivering, maintaining and improving the Oyster and contactless system over the past decades. The hard work and innovation by Cubic helped make the system as instantly recognisable and successful as it is.”