Original Tender Description
Background
This preliminary market engagement exercise is being conducted by Transport for London (TfL), through its trading arm Transport Trading Limited (TTL) and in collaboration with Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on the basis described in this notice.
There is a shared ambition across TfL and the wider rail industry to move more passengers to digital ticketing in all its forms, to deliver strategic, operational and customer benefits - while ensuring that the retail experience remains inclusive and accessible for those who rely on paper tickets or cash.
To enable delivery of these benefits, TfL is seeking to deliver a ticketing solution for the acceptance of barcode tickets in London.
Barcode ticketing has been rolled out nationally on rail, further accelerating the adoption of digital retailing and acceptance. Today, 79%* of National Rail tickets are retailed digitally (including barcode, smart card and TfL PAYG).
TfL's proposed expansion of barcode ticketing in London aligns with the broader rail industry-led reform of fares, ticketing, and retail. Making fares easier to understand, ticketing simpler and delivering improvements to passenger experience now, ahead of a simpler more unified railway under Great British Railways.
Project Description
The objective of this market engagement is to investigate the feasibility of bringing barcode ticketing to London, in a number of parts including barcode acceptance and barcode retailing. TfL is seeking to understand the market's capability for designing, developing, testing and deploying a scalable end to end barcode ticketing solution for all identified TfL stations.
Lot 1 -Barcode Acceptance
Part A - Fixed Barcode Acceptance and Validation
A fixed barcode reading solution, which will interface with existing TfL gatelines is required to enable barcode acceptance and validation at TfL stations. The roll-out of Barcode Ticketing in London could ultimately be required at all London Underground and TfL Rail locations, based on forecasted demand in order of this priority:
Stations where TOC services call behind TfL Gatelines (e.g. Farringdon and Stratford)
Cross-London interchange stations and TfL rail services, including TfL Overground and Elizabeth Line stations.
Zone 1-3 London Underground Stations.
Remaining London Underground Stations.
Part B - Barcode Back Office
A back office solution, compliant with RDG barcode standards, which will interface with non-TfL, TOC and rail retailer electronic Ticket Validation Databases (eTVDs) and extendable to incorporate future TfL station barcode retailing.
Part C - Portable Barcode Acceptance and Validation
A portable barcode reading solution which will provide revenue protection capability for TfL revenue inspectors. This may integrate with existing TfL revenue inspection devices, for example as a software application.
Lot 2 - Barcode Retailing
A solution to enable retailing and vending of physical (i.e. barcodes printed on physical ticket stock) TfL issued barcode tickets to replace existing TfL issued magnetic tickets as a ticket of last resort. These will be required to support cash and card payments.
Anticipated Scope and Requirements
Full interoperability with national rail barcode ticketing standards (RDG/RSP).
Ability to design, deliver, operate and maintain an integrated solution.
To collaborate with the primary System Integrator, responsible for TfL's revenue collection system. The supplier will need to provide equipment to the primary System Integrator, who will carry out front-line installation and maintenance.
Fixed readers to integrate with existing gates at TfL stations.
To deliver the solution and services at scale in London.
To deliver the solution in line with TfL and RDG security standards.
Provide L2 and L3 support to the barcode solution (L1 will be the responsibility of the primary System Integrator).
TfL to own or have licence rights in perpetuity for the IPR created as part of the solution deployed.
Out of Scope
At this time, installation of barcode acceptance equipment and retailing of barcode tickets for buses in London is not in scope.
Contract dates (estimated)
June 2027 to January 2033
Possible extensions up to January 2038
10 years, 7 months.