Hitachi Rail and Auckland Transport implement contactless payments

Hitachi Rail's ticketing system achieves over 300,000 bank cards or digital wallets used on public transport in Auckland in first three months.

Hitachi Rail and Auckland Transport's (AT) new contactless ticketing system has achieved 3.5 million taps in its first three months of operation in Auckland, New Zealand.

The AT Contactless Payment project went live for passengers across all modes of transport in November 2024, a record time of 15 months from project launch to the full implementation of EMV[i]payment for public transport in Auckland.

The project consisted of an overall upgrade of payment validation infrastructure as well as delivering the Transcity™ Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) back-office and APIs to support contactless fare payments and integrate it into Auckland Transport's technology landscape. Accepted payments include contactless enabled Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay or American Express debit or credit cards, as well as these cards in the digital wallet of a smartphone or smart device.

Integration of all Auckland Transport's operators – providing train, bus and ferry transport – is also part of the project deliverables and is fully incorporated into the joint approach of Hitachi Rail and Auckland Transport. Staged hardware and software upgrades enabled the technology to be delivered without disrupting passenger journeys.

Hitachi Rail's expertise in multimodal ticketing solutions encourages ridership growth by adding new riders, and promotes accessible and sustainable mobility by reducing Auckland's net transportation emissions.

www.hitachirail.com