International fare collection projects
See how our technologies come to life—tailored systems built from our products and trusted by customers around the world. Check out our international projects, customer case studies, and success stories, and learn how we help our customers succeed with modernized and simplified fare management.
Translink, Netherlands
Modernizing Nationwide fare collection
Translink Systems (TLS) operates the nationwide fare management system in the Netherlands, OV-chipkaart and OVpay. This system connects all public transport across the country, including every transportation operator and mode. More than two billion journeys by public transport are processed annually.
The former card-based OV-chipkaart system has, since 2016, been transformed into a modern account-based ticketing system (ABT) by Scheidt & Bachmann. Since 2023, the system also includes the open payment option OVpay, making it one of the first open-loop payment solutions in public transport at a national level.
The account-based ticketing system integrates more than 60,000 ticketing devices from other manufacturers, 14 million active cards, and processes 10 million transactions every day.
SWB Bus und Bahn, Germany
BONNsmart: First Open Payment System in Germany
BONNsmart was introduced in 2020 as the first open payment system in Germany. The aim of the project was to improve the customer experience, make operations more efficient, and reduce distribution costs. Since then, more and more passengers have been using the new service. This is also reflected in the usage figures, which rose by 70% between 2021 and 2022.
For BONNsmart, all 230 SWB buses and 99 trains were equipped with validators and connected to the central account-based ticketing system from technology partner Scheidt & Bachmann. To pay for a journey, passengers hold their contactless debit/credit card or smartphone wallet to the validator when boarding and alighting. The system determines the best price for the journey based on the 24-hour fare and then charges it to the card used. There is no need to search for the right ticket, and no conventional ticket purchase or registration is necessary.
BONNsmart is a joint project funded by state funds and involving SWB Bus und Bahn, Postbank, Scheidt & Bachmann, the Kompetenzcenter Digitalisierung NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Digitalization Competence Center), and Visa. In the long term, the system aims to strengthen public transportation in Bonn and reduce traffic volume—for the benefit of the climate, the environment, and air quality.
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), USA
Innovating Onboard fare payments in Chicago
Simplify fare payment, speed up boarding, operate smarter—those were the goals behind our farebox project with the CTA. With over 2,000 CTA buses equipped with our proven FareGo FB|30 solution, this project marks a significant step forward in CTA’s system modernization. Spanning from December 2022 to April 2025, the effort included a three-month pilot and a full rollout completed in just one year.
The new farebox system integrates seamlessly with CTA’s existing infrastructure. All 2,000+ fareboxes were delivered on-time and support smarter operations with real-time, data-driven insights. The project received positive feedback from both riders and operators.
The key factor behind this success is collaboration: Since opening our Chicago office in August 2024, our local presence has been critical—enabling faster response times, stronger coordination, and a deeper understanding of CTA’s goals. Together, our teams worked through challenges with transparency and focus.
This project demonstrates how innovative, scalable, and data-powered fare collection solutions can transform transit systems across North America.
Greater Anglia, United Kingdom
Transforming public transport with Paper Roll Ticketing
Greater Anglia, operated by the Transport UK Group, runs services across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. As part of its drive to reduce reliance on traditional magnetic stripe tickets, the transport agency partnered with Scheidt & Bachmann to introduce a more sustainable and cost-efficient alternative: Paper Roll Ticketing.
In 2023, Scheidt & Bachmann’s Paper Roll Ticketing (PRT) solution launched across 20 FareGo ST|71 ticket vending machines in a trial funded by the Rail Delivery Group. PRT prints tickets on fully recyclable paper with secure 2D Aztec barcodes, enabling fast, contactless validation. It can be deployed as a standalone or dual-solution upgrade for existing TVMs, allowing operators to transition effortlessly and cost effectively.
After implementing PRT across Greater Anglia’s network, usage rose to an impressive 86%, while magnetic stripe ticket printing declined to just 14% in August 2024. Additionally, the PRT printers recorded zero failures during the trial, demonstrating superior reliability for operators. Following this success, Greater Anglia expanded the rollout to an additional 194 devices.
Read the Case Study to discover how PRT is a key solution for public transport agencies aiming to modernize their fare collection systems.
Project Updates
