PayTM appointed as banking partner for AFC systems for Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor

New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): The National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited has appointed PayTM Payments Bank Ltd as a banking partner for providing support for the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system for the 82.15 km Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor under Package 26B.

The Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor will allow QR Code based ticketing (digital QR & paper QR) and EMV enabled (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) open-loop contactless card ticketing based on National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) standards via a contactless bank card, phone, or smartcard at RRTS stations.

The commuters will have the option to use QR code tickets which can be bought at each station’s ticket vending machines, ticketing booth, or generated digitally on NCRTC’s mobile app or website. Business Class riders have to validate twice – once at the concourse level and the second on the platform level for access to the executive lounge for boarding the Business Class coaches of semi-high speed RRTS trains being manufactured by Alstom Transport India.

Tender notice for the Selection of Financial Institution for issuance of Open Loop National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) and Acquiring Services for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor was issued in October 2021 under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) – the first of its kind for AFCs in India where NCRTC has appointed a systems integrator (Package 26A) and financial institution (Package 26B) to issue and acquire services.

Technical bids were opened in January 2022 where only two bidders Paytm Payments Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) had participated in this contract package.

Now Paytm Payments Bank will work with the consortium of Datamatics Global Services – AEP Ticketing Solutions (DM-AEP-26A JV) who were awarded Contract Package 26A for Design, Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning and Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract of EMV based Open Loop Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) System for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor.

The 82.15 km long Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor will connect Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh through 16 RRTS stations.