ERG Group today announced the successful installation and commissioning of a state-of-the-art fare collection system for the new Las Vegas Monorail, scheduled to open to the public on 15 July 2004.
ERG was awarded the contract by Bombardier Transportation to implement the fare collection system in September 2002. "We're pleased to have delivered a system which meets the high standards and needs of the Las Vegas Monorail Corporation", stated Mike Nash, General Manager of ERG's North American operations. "ERG's experience and knowledge were key to us successfully completing this project on time, despite a demanding schedule."
The Las Vegas Monorail System is a driverless, urban monorail transportation system that runs through the heart of the Las Vegas resort corridor and is expected to carry 20 million passengers in its first year of operation. Seven stations are located along the route with future stations planned as extensions are built. ERG has installed 50 fare gates and 38 ticket vending machines at the seven stations and hotels to provide convenient ticketing to serve monorail passengers. Each entry fare gate is also equipped with a card reader to allow the system to use smart cards as a fare medium.
ERG is providing the Las Vegas Monorail with a system that automates, manages and controls the fare collection, fare media validation and passenger access to the Monorail. By integrating station equipment, hotel ticket vending equipment and fare gates from the world's leading transit hardware manufacturers with its own control center equipment, which monitors and tracks fares, the system provides a flexible and reliable ticketing system for both tourists and thousands of local residents who work along the route.
"This again proves ERG's ability to integrate complex hardware from a variety of suppliers into a fully functioning fare collection system," said Mike Nash. "The Las Vegas system is designed to serve the fast paced, high traffic area of Las Vegas, which will generate more than 100,000 transactions daily. ERG's proven technology has the ability to handle all these transactions and many more."
The system will use the same hardware and backend software to process both contactless smart cards and magnetic tickets for single and multiple journeys, daily and weekly passes. ERG is providing fare media utilizing magnetic tickets in the initial stages of the project with smart cards added in the future. All tickets can be purchased with cash, credit card or debit card payment with change provided when cash is used. The total system is capable of expansion into multiple applications for smart cards including electronic purse for casinos, security access and customer loyalty programs.
Background information
ERG Group
The ERG Group is a world leader in the development and supply of integrated fare management and software systems for the transit industry, and for its smart card systems and services. The Group has installed systems in major cities throughout the world including Hong Kong, Melbourne, Rome, San Francisco and Singapore with installations in progress in Gothenburg, Seattle, Stockholm, Sydney and Washington DC. ERG has delivered systems that support more than 20 million smart cards in circulation and handle approximately 5 billion transactions per annum. ERG is an Australian-based company, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and employs 800 people in 11 countries
