Rail Delivery Group has now seen its move to the Unicard HOPS (Host or Operator Processing System) finalised in order to provide train operators across the country with a smart ticketing solution.

The move supports an increase in customer preference for digital ticketing over traditional paper tickets.

Unicard is a cloud-based system which features both transaction processing and reporting capabilities and provides smart ticketing solutions for train operators across Britain, marking a first for the industry.

The impressive system will allow train operators the ability to:

• Offer efficient processing of smart tickets and transactions
• Monitor passenger journeys
• Monitor customer behaviour

Unicard HOPS provides a centralised system without needing an ‘on-premises data centre’ for each train operator.

The latest HOPS has been created to provide greater efficiency with a capacity for auto-scaling, which enables a greater workload for peak hours, which will benefit both train operators and customers.

The system is also future-proofed for third-party retail and mobile ticketing and will also help to battle fraud on the railway by offering full visibility of activities using its single-user interface.

The move to HOPS comes as part of Rail Delivery Group’s wider Smart Ticketing Hub programme, which aims to move the rail industry to digital ticketing and features an array of projects such as:

• Enabling contactless bank card acceptance during a journey
• Pay As You Go tap converter service
• Smartphone-based ticketing.

The rail industry is committed to driving innovation and improving customer experience. By providing more robust and reliable supporting systems, we’ll be able to ensure that the ongoing transition to digital ticketing is smooth and seamless for our customers.

Flexible smart ticketing infrastructure provided by Unicard not only enables us to meet present customer demands with agility but also has the potential to accommodate other forms of smart ticketing in the future.

Simon Moorhead, Chief Information Officer at Rail Delivery Group

The migration to a cloud-based HOPS marks a significant milestone in our ongoing relationship with RDG to modernise the GB rail sector’s smart ticketing infrastructure. We’re looking forward to working closely with RDG, train operators, and other ticketing providers to improve service delivery and the passenger experience. Unicard’s heritage in ITSO and working with transport operators and local authorities throughout the UK will allow us to support a more joined up approach to public transport across rail and multi-modal services. As well as the ability to make continuous improvements to the passenger experience of ITSO ticketing. Unicard supports RDG’s commitment to driving innovation, creating a set of common standards and making rail travel easier.

Sean Dickinson, CEO of Unicard