Minister Opens Dublin Headquarters for Ireland's New Contactless Ticketing System

A new Dublin office will serve as the nerve centre for the Next Generation Ticketing project, which will eventually allow passengers to tap and pay on buses, trains and trams across the country using bank cards and smartphones.

Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien yesterday joined the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Indra Group to officially open the company's new Irish headquarters at Heuston South Quarter in Dublin.

The facility will act as the operational hub for the Next Generation Ticketing (NGT) programme, a major upgrade to Ireland's public transport payment infrastructure that will ultimately replace the existing Leap Card system.

Building on the success of the Leap Card, which has processed over €2.8 billion in payments since 2011, the NGT project will introduce a cloud-hosted, account-based ticketing platform. Passengers will be able to pay for travel using bank cards, mobile phones and smart devices, with fares calculated retrospectively and charged directly to their accounts.

The programme involves upgrading approximately 240 railway station gates, around 1,000 station validators across Luas and Irish Rail, and more than 2,800 on-bus validators in the Greater Dublin Area alone. New validators will begin appearing from 2027, with contactless payments available from 2028.

Unlike many international contactless ticketing programmes rolled out by city or region, the NTA and Indra are delivering an end-to-end solution designed to operate across the entire Transport for Ireland network, covering buses, trains, trams and regional services.

Throughout the transition, Leap Cards, Free Travel Passes and discounted fare products will continue to be fully supported.

The office opening will create about 40 new jobs, including approximately 30 roles dedicated to the NGT project, with further recruitment planned as the programme expands.

Minister Darragh O'Brien:

"The opening of Indra's new headquarters in Dublin is a clear signal of Ireland's ambition to lead in transport innovation. This office will be the nerve centre for the efficient delivery of a nationwide contactless ticketing system, improving convenience for passengers and supporting sustainable mobility."

Anne Shaw, CEO of the National Transport Authority:

"Today's office opening marks an important milestone in our partnership with Indra. Having a dedicated team based in Dublin ensures that the Next Generation Ticketing project will be delivered with local expertise and global experience."

Raúl Ripio, Senior Vice-president of Mobility at Indra Group:

"Today marks a moment of great pride for Indra. The opening of our new headquarters represents a major milestone in our journey and underscores our strong commitment to sustainable, long-term growth in this country."

Indra has been collaborating on mobility projects in Ireland for more than 20 years, managing initiatives including the platform enabling payment across all of Ireland's motorways, the tolling technology for the Dublin Tunnel, and the railway management system for the national rail network.

For more information on the Next Generation Ticketing project, visit the BusConnects website.