No contactless payment system on public transport outside Dublin until after 2028, minister says
Minister for transport Darragh O'Brien also said contactless payments are being rolled out on TFI Local Link services nationwide. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA
Public transport users outside Dublin are unlikely to gain access to contactless payment systems until after 2028.
That is despite more than €35 million already having been spent nationally on the project. Transport minister Darragh O'Brien made the admission in response to a parliamentary question.
While he said responsibility for the project rests with the National Transport Authority, he was able to give a timeline for the phased introduction of the new "Next Generation Ticketing System".
The development of the new ticketing platform is due to be completed by summer 2027. A further phase will then see new ticketing equipment rolled out across Dublin Bus and Luas services, followed by Irish Rail stations in the Greater Dublin Area.
Those phases are currently scheduled to go live together in summer 2028, at which point passengers in Dublin will be able to use contactless payments across all public transport modes.
Only after that will the technology begin to be introduced on commuter and regional services outside the Greater Dublin Area, including Cork.
The project will allow passengers to pay for journeys using debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and other digital payment methods.
The minister had been asked by local TD Thomas Gould for the overall cost to date of contactless payments in Cork and when it would be rolled out. Mr O'Brien said he would ask the NTA to respond to Mr Gould.
The latest update comes months after figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed the NTA had already spent €35.6 million on the project between 2020 and early 2026.
The project involves replacing and upgrading ticketing infrastructure across the public transport network, including railway station gates, validators and onboard ticketing equipment.
While there is no confirmed timeline for the roll-out in Cork, the NTA previously indicated that contactless payments in the city would form part of the wider BusConnects Cork programme.
Separately, the minister said contactless payments are being rolled out on TFI Local Link services nationwide.
The system allows passengers to pay single fares using bank cards and mobile payment services and is expected to be available across all 15 Local Link offices by the end of 2026.
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