Indra Sistemas : will equip Thessaloniki´s metro with contactless ticketing systems for easier access, custom rates and efficient management

Indra has won a contract to implement its contactless ticket technology in the first subway line currently under construction in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece.

Indra handles the engineering, design, development, testing and commissioning of all ticketing and access control technology (AFC-Automated Fare Collection) for the 13 stations of line 1 of Thessaloniki's metro. This project includes systems and machines for automatic ticket sales, access control systems, software, the central ticketing system, economic management systems and station control equipment, among others.

Equipped with Indra's latest contactless technology, the new solution will make it more comfortable and fast to access the service, since users will only need to place their cards close to the reader. Also, with mass data management, users will be offered rates adapted to their needs as smart cards allow for a wider range of prices. Additionally, the subway's operator can benefit from efficiency and secure management with more reliable systems.

Given that there are no printed and magnetic tickets, no mechanic elements are necessary and their periodic replacement needs are no longer a concern. Technology maintenance will be less expensive and the subway's operation will be sustainable and environment friendly.

This contract reinforces Indra's position in Greece, where major railroad infrastructure plans have been scheduled for the next few years with the support of the European Union. In fact, the EU has recently allocated 1.1 billion euros to stimulate the development of this type of infrastructure in Greece, with projects involving Thessaloniki's metro, Piraeus' streetcar, the Athens-Patras line and Athens' metro. In the case of the subway in Athens, Indra implemented its ticketing and access control systems to prepare the service for the 2004 Olympic Games and has been the regular supplier of these systems for lines 2 and 3.

Leadership in ticketing

Indra is one of the world leaders in ticketing. It offers its own solutions and has worked in projects for the subways in Madrid, Barcelona, Medellín, Santiago de Chile, Cairo, Calcutta and Mumbai, the light rail in St Louis, the railroad in Buenos Aires and the suburban railroad in Mexico City, among others.

Indra is currently working on the world's largest ticketing contract to date and is implementing all of the ticketing and access control systems for the new public transportation system being developed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The company is also a world leader in other rail technologies, offering solutions for infrastructures, including their management, safety and operation, and for train operators.

Thanks to a firm commitment to innovation, Indra's proprietary solutions have carved out a place at the very forefront of the global sector and have been deployed to modernize rail infrastructures in Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, China, the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and Morocco, among others. This leadership has turned Indra into the benchmark technology provider within the Spanish consortium formed for the Saudi Arabia Mecca-Medina high-speed rail link project.

A member of the Governing Board of the main European initiative for innovation in the railroad sector, Shif2Rail, Indra obtained this position on the strength of its advanced developments in traffic control and rail signaling, payment systems and new solutions for improving passenger service, as well as its commitment to innovation.

About Indra

Indra is one of the world's top consulting and technology companies, the absolute leader in IT in Spain, and a technology partner for the key operations of its customers' businesses worldwide. It offers a comprehensive range of proprietary solutions and cutting-edge services with a high added value in technology, which adds to a unique culture that is reliable, flexible and adaptable to its clients' needs. Indra is a world leader in the development of end-to-end technology solutions in fields such as Defense and Security; Transport and Traffic, Energy and Industry, Telecommunications and Media, Financial Services, Electoral Processes, and Public Administrations and Healthcare. Through its Minsait unit, it addresses the challenges of digital transformation. In 2016 Indra posted revenues of €2,709m and had a workforce of 34,000 professionals, a local presence in 46 countries, and sales operations in more than 140 countries. Following its acquisition of Tecnocom, Indra's combined revenues amounted to more than €3,200m in 2016 with a team of nearly 40,000 professionals.