Electronic Fare Collection on Commuter Railroads: Case Studies and Lessons Learned

Commuter railroads have generally not adopted automated fare collection (AFC) to the extent that other transit systems have, due to factors such as the lack of faregates at stations. This paper uses a case study approach to illustrate the challenges and opportunities for adopting AFC on commuter rail, including issues related to regional coordination, operational impacts, and customer interaction. In identifying "lessons learned" with AFC deployments, the report is intended as a resource for commuter railroads considering adoption of AFC and/or joining multimodal electronic payment systems. The findings may be of particular use for commuter rail systems that are still in the planning stages and thus have the opportunity to leapfrog older technologies.