Metrolink Ticket Vending Machine Operation and maintenance Service Agreement

Currently, 223 Ticket Vending Machines (TVM's) are installed on the Greater Manchester Metrolink Light Rail Network and enable customer ticket purchases in respect of both Metrolink (and multi-modal) travel products. Maintenance and Operational services for this estate of TVM's are provided by Scheidt and Bachmann Fare Collection Systems GMBH the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the TVM infrastructure supported by a back office and Payment Service Provider (PSP) service that is provided by the OEM supplier through (where applicable) an assortment of sub-contract arrangements.

The secure compliant and resilient continued operation of the Metrolink Ticketing Vending Machines (TVM's) is of critical importance to TfGM, and requires robust operation and maintenance arrangements to be put in place to sustain the infrastructure during a period until the the end of April 2029 and potentially beyond during extension periods.

This notice provides transparency around the reasons for this single source procurement of the Metrolink Ticket Vending Machine Operation and Maintenance Service Agreement.

The Metrolink Ticket Vending Machine Operation and Maintenance Service shall include:

• operation of a screen based user interface that will enable consumers to select ticketing products (in a number of different European languages) in respect of travel on the Greater Manchester Metrolink network and on other travel modes across Greater Manchester;
• the facility to process consumer payments for the ticketing products that consumers have selected at a respective TVM including cash payments (in UK coinage and banknote currency) and Credit and Debit Card payments (processed as cardholder present Chip and PIN and contactless transactions);
• a back-office service that will enable the processing of customer Credit and Debit Card payments in conjunction with TfGM's Merchant Acquirer service in accordance with card-scheme rules for cardholder present Chip and PIN and contactless transactions and compliance the payment Card Industries Data Security Standard (PCI DSS);
• device management of the estate of TVM's to ensure that the infrastructure is operated to robust service levels of availability and incident management; and
• cash collection services.