New myki readers at Metro Tunnel stations to be ripped out and replaced within months of grand open
Newly installed Myki readers at yet-to-be-opened Metro Tunnel stations will need to be replaced within months of commuters touching on — and the latest “stuff up” extends even further.
Victoria
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Dozens of myki readers at Metro Tunnel stations will need to be ripped out and replaced with updated technology shortly after the $15bn rail project opens.
The new Metro Tunnel stations, scheduled to take passengers from late this year, are being fitted with myki readers that do not allow for contactless ticketing, such as credit cards, phones and smart watches.
The first phase of a contactless ticketing system for Victoria was supposed to have been up and running by the middle of this year as part of a $1.7bn myki upgrade project, which could have allowed for the replacement of old readers that use VIX technology before the tunnel began operating.
But delays to the myki upgrade, which was bogged down by a legal dispute over contract blowouts and timelines, mean a switchover to new technology is unlikely to be ready until the middle of next year.
But Conduent has yet to complete its first trial of its new technology, meaning the 25,000 readers ordered by the ticketing giant cannot yet be installed across the network, nor proactively fitted to unopened Metro Tunnel stations.
It means crews will only be able to reinstall the readers at Metro Tunnel stations after the multi-billion dollar project opens to commuters.
The cost of the replacement is included in the existing $1.7bn public transport contract, according to the government.
The Department of Transport said the readers had been procured in 2022 so that the Metro Tunnel project could be commissioned and completed independently from the rollout of contactless technology.
“This is a complex technology project that crosses every mode of public transport and requires software development, device replacement and extensive testing across the state,” a Department of Transport spokesperson said.
However, the scheduled opening of the Metro Tunnel could have coincided with the initial rollout of contactless touch and go, before major delays hit the project, according to secret timelines obtained by the Herald Sun.
Shadow minister for public transport Matthew Guy said it was “mindblowingly incompetent” that contactless payment had not been built into the Metro Tunnel.
“It’s a special link of incompetence to stuff up a ticketing system before the new tunnel is even open,” he said.
“It’s hard to believe that the most expensive rail project in Victoria’s history wasn’t built for 21st century ticketing.”
In a further bungle, Conduent does not have the certification to retrofit outdated machines for tap and go — meaning every single machine across the network will need to be replaced before commuters can tap their cards instead of their mykis.
NTT Data argued it had the certification to grandfather older technology which could have saved taxpayers millions if it had of retained the ticketing contract.
The Department of Transport confirmed that when Conduent’s new readers were ready to be installed, only the green readers where commuters tap their mykis would be replaced, not the gate infrastructure which is owned by the state government.
The new Conduent myki readers will be rolled out progressively across the network after testing is complete.
Account-based ticketing will only be available once all touchpoints are replaced, which could take as long as late 2027 under revised timelines.
Conduent rumoured to sell
It comes as the Allan government has maintained that a mooted sale of the company in charge of Victoria’s trouble-plagued myki system will not further delay the rollout of credit card tap and go across the public transport system.
Reuters reported last week that US-based ticketing giant Conduent had engaged a financial advisor to explore selling up the $1bn company, which could be signed in as little as a few weeks time.
The government has moved to quash fears that the potential sale of Conduent could spark further chaos in the long-awaited ticketing upgrade, with the project already running at least a year behind schedule.
Business upstream of Conduent Victoria Ticketing System (CVTS) — the department overseeing the myki system – would not change CVTS’ contractual obligations with the state, according to the government.
“Any change in ownership of Conduent will not have an impact on the cost or delivery timeline of the ticketing rollout,” a government spokesperson said.
If Conduent does sell up, the company would be obligated to advise the state government of the sale — but Conduent is yet to confirm the reported move to sell, and did not respond to the Herald Sun’s inquiry.
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