Blog - Trainsfare

August 19, 2019 Ticketing

SNCF upgrades to full-height access gates to reduce fare evasion
Under the new plan, 140 new gates at 34 stations will be installed at a total cost of 55 million euros

In July 2019 the Parisian station of Saint-Lazare has been the first one to receive the upgrades. According to the press release issued by SNCF, the cost raised to 14 million euros for this station, out of 55 million euros invested in total to replace 1.800 old access gates at 34 stations on its...

July 15, 2019 Ticketing

Study concludes free public transport in Lyon, France unsustainable
Lyon's transit network is significantly larger than that of cities like Dunkirk where public transport is free

A recent study commissioned by France’s second largest public transport operator SYTRAL has concluded that switching to a ticket-free scheme on Lyon’s TCL network would be financially unsustainable and would jeopardise the development of the network on the long-term. According to the press release issued by SYTRAL, free service would reduce certain operating expenses such...

July 1, 2019 Fines, General

Transport for New South Wales takes tougher measures to reduce fare evasion
Since the implementation of the Opal Card in 2012 fare evasion has been in decline but it still cost taxpayers $83M in 2018

The Australian operator Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) reported the highest fare evasion rate is on its Hunter line – at 13.6% in one year. This equals revenue losses of about $351.000. To tackle this problem TfNSW issued $1.4M in fines on this line from June 2018 to May 2018. In total, 1803...

June 5, 2019 Fare Evasion, General

Metrolinx to save 3.75M by tackling fare evasion in 2019-2020
Fare evasion is lower in Canada compared to other parts of the world but a recent report indicates 15M loss yearly

Ontario’s Regional Transportation Agency Metrolinx has recently reported that it aims to save as much as 3.75M in 2019-2020 by taking a stricter stance on fare evasion on its network. This would amount to about 25% reduction in fraudulent incidents. As cited by the agency, most of the incidents happen on the Go Transit system...

May 30, 2019 Fare Gates

Milan upgrades subway service gates to tackle fare evasion
Fare evasion fines have increased 33% in the past year

In its efforts to reduce subway fare evasion, Milan Transit Authority (ATM) recently announced it will deploy a new improved access gate system. This will become operational at Porta Genova, Cadorna, and Duomo subway stations starting in summer 2019. Compared to the old waist-height turnstiles, the new gates are 1.8m high and have a...

March 15, 2019 Ticketing

Buying tickets onboard costs 150,000 hours yearly in Paris
The city will launch a new bus network on April 20th to improve bus regularity and increase speed

Buying tickets onboard implies a serious waste of time. Paris bus journeys lose 150,000 hours every year to drivers selling transport tickets. Consequently, Ile-de-France Mobilités has launched a three-week campaign to encourage travellers to buy their ticket before taking the bus. The aim is to save time and money, as well as facilitating bus...

March 12, 2019 Fare Evasion

Fare evasion costs TfL £100m a year
This figure is almost £15m higher than previous estimates in 2016

Transport for London (TfL) is losing £100m to fare evasion yearly. People skip the fare in a wide range of ways from failing to tap the Oyster card in and out to using fake cards. Consequently, it is the first time the annual loss to fare dodging reaches a three digit number. The last...

March 5, 2019 Fare Enforcement

Awareness campaign at Dubai buses to reduce bad behaviour
RTA hands out 6,000 leaflets at its two main bus stations to encourage good conduct after issuing over 37,000 fines in 2018

RTA in Dubai launches awareness campaign

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai issued more than 37,000 fines in 2018. The vast majority involved fare dodgers who did not pay for their ride. Consequently, the agency has launched an awareness campaign to reduce “uncivilised behaviour” on buses. The awareness campaign has basically consisted in handing out 6,000 brochures at Al...

February 26, 2019 Fare Evasion

TTC lost $61M to fare evasion in 2018
Auditors general’s report shows fare evasion costed three times more than the Canadian agency previously said and proposes 27 recommendations to fix the situation

Toronto Transit Commission’s prolonged fare evasion issue does not seem to improve. In 2018, TTC lost $61M to fare evasion, according to Toronto’s auditor general report. This figure implies 5.4% of total passengers skipped the fare. It also triples the estimate the agency has consistently defended over time. The bus is the public transport...

February 19, 2019 Ticketing

Metro de Madrid open fare gates project keeps growing
Up to 33 stations of the subway network have their doors permanently open and only close when someone does not validate their ticket

Metro de Madrid. @metro_madrid

Last year, Metro de Madrid launched an open fare gates pilot test. This consists on permanently open access doors which only close when someone does not validate their ticket. The trial started in February 2018 at Alsacia station and continued in four other stations in late March. Currently, 33 Metro de Madrid stations run...