By John Oates, 14 August 1998 18:14
NEWS London Underground's smartcard ticketing contract has gone to TranSys - a consortium of the Cubic Corporation, EDS, ICL and WS Atkins. The 17-year contract is worth £1bn. The four-year programme, known as Prestige, will see ticket gates fitted at all stations, new tills in the offices and upgraded ticket machines with touch screens. Buses will also be fitted with ticket machines able to cope with the cards. The deal is being financed through a Private Finance Initiative. Within four years the magnetic strip tickets will be replaced by smartcards which do not require any physical contact. Passengers will be able to walk past a sensor without taking the ticket out of their pocket. Travellers will also have a variety of ways to pay for travel - over the phone or by direct debit. The consortium is also considering whether to make payment facilities available through cashpoints and supermarkets. One hundred and thirty London Underground staff will be transferred to TranSys.
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