No timetable for roll-out of new public transport ticketing system to replace Leap Card, NTA confirms

The new 'next generation' ticketing system will eventually be rolled out countrywide. Picture: Larry Cummins

There is still no timetable for 'next generation' ticketing, which allows public transport users to tap on with their cards, to be available countrywide.

The National Transport Authority has told Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman the system, which has thus far cost more €30m of a €270m budget, is being designed from the outset so it can be expanded and extended nationally without requiring a major redesign.

In a parliamentary response to Mr O'Gorman, the NTA said after the Greater Dublin Area implementation it was "intended to then continue to roll out the system nationwide, though the timeline for that implementation is not yet available and will be subject to the requisite approvals and funding".

NGT is an entirely new ticketing system and infrastructure, that will initially complement the existing Leap Card scheme but ultimately will replace it.

The NTA confirmed to Mr O'Gorman the first phase of the project, when rolled out in late 2027, would be on fewer than 100 buses and tram and train validators as part of what it is calling "Major Release 1 [MR1]".

"The purpose of MR1 is to introduce a small number of new bus, tram and train validators [ticket machines] (just less than 100) and test and prove the functionality of these validators before committing to a large-scale deployment across the entire network in GDA [Greater Dublin Area]. The phase is designed to evaluate the following functionalities on the new system."

Assuming a successful MR1, MR2 will see validators installed across the bus and Luas network, which the NTA said "will take some time to complete".

"Replacing (and adding to) all of the validators of 2,000+ buses and approximately 400 validators across 69 stops on the tram network is a significant milestone for the project. Leap and free travel will continue to operate as normal but it is expected that the use of Leap Cards will decline as customers migrate to contactless bank cards including Apple Pay and Google Pay."

Major Release 3 brings in Irish Rail "as close to MR2 as possible" to allow the 90-minute multi-modal fare to continue, whereby customers can take integrated journeys for a single €2 fare across Dublin City bus, Luas and Irish Rail services, and so Leap fare capping continues to automatically limit the price for customers once they hit the cap.

Major Release 4 (MR4) will extend contactless bank card payments and barcode tickets to commuter and other bus services in the Dublin commuter zone.