Paris transport operators begin NFC ticketing trial

The six month trial will see 1,000 commuters replacing their current travel pass with a dedicated NFC device supplied by Neowave.

A Weneo device
TRAVEL PASS: Neowave's Weneo device

STIF (Syndicat des transports d’Ile de France), the governing body for the bus, local train and underground services in Paris, is to run a six month NFC ticketing test using a dedicated device developed by Neowave.

The test is to take place on commuter train services operated by Transilien SNCF in the Paris region and will continue until the end of August 2010.

Neowave’s Weneo device combines NFC and USB technology, enabling it to be used as a contactless card that can be topped up via the internet from a users PC. In the Paris trial, participants will replace their existing Navigo weekly or monthly travel pass with the Weneo device, enabling them to top up their pass via the transilien.com website.

STIF has been working on the project since June 2009 and plans to enable passengers on the Paris Metro, local trains and the region’s buses to be able to buy their tickets and get them validated using an NFC phone from the end of this year.

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