Cambridge, UK, April 3, 2012. Vix is supporting Stagecoach in delivering an innovative smart ticketing scheme which allows passengers to travel by bus and rail on one smart card.

The smart ticketing pilot in Basingstoke, Hampshire, is one of the UK’s first commercial multi-modal applications of the Government-preferred ITSO technology. The system uses a combination of Vix TP5000 smart ticket machines on buses, with P5700 rail platform validators and Cubic rail gates with readers at the station.

To travel, passengers simply “touch” their Stagecoach Smart travel card over the Vix readers.

The new pilot involves a small number of South West Trains season ticket holders travelling between Basingstoke and any smartcard enabled station outside the London area.

A rail season ticket and a Stagecoach South Megarider multi-journey bus ticket giving unlimited bus travel in and around the town are stored on one smartcard.

The integrated bus-rail pilot will be gradually expanded in the months ahead to include more passengers and further areas.
Vix have enabled a number of Stagecoach projects which are leading the way in working towards Transport Minister Norman Baker’s vision to have all public transport covered by smart card technology by 2020. Last year saw the launch of the Oxford City wide “Smart Zone” which is the first to enable passengers to travel on main bus routes from multiple operators with a single smart card.

Stagecoach Group Finance Director, Martin Griffiths, said: “This exciting initiative means joined up journeys on rail and bus using smartcard ticketing is a reality on our transport network now. It is making travel easier and more convenient for our passengers, who can also benefit from our good value fares.”

Peter Eccleson, UK Region Director for Vix, commented: “The introduction of this integrated bus and rail solution is a vital next step for the development of public transport in the UK. It is exciting to be at the forefront of simplifying travel on public transport.”