Snapper trial success to be spread
Four out of five passengers used service
After being trialled on the Johnsonville train services, the Snapper card will next be rolled out in Ka¯ piti for train commuters. Our plans are to roll out Snapper across the Ka¯ piti line in early November 2022 and then across the Hutt Valley, Melling and Wairarapa lines in late November 2022, a process that will require the installation of Snapper validators at all stations.
Metlink is set to roll out interim electronic payment by Snapper across the rest of the region’s rail network as part of the transition to the National Ticketing Solution following a successful trial on the Johnsonville Line.
Results from the trial showed that four out of every five passengers on the Johnsonville line paid by Snapper, which is a clear signal it was popular and convenient for our passengers. So it was an easy decision to roll it out, and as part of a managed approach the Kapiti Line will be next.
The Johnsonville Line’s Snapper on Rail pilot kicked off in November last year, providing the opportunity for Greater Wellington Regional Council to get to grips with the physical, operational and passenger requirements for an electronic ticketing future on its rail network.
Our trial data shows that within three months more than 80 per cent of passengers had adopted the new system. That’s a big endorsement of the Snapper card.
Snapper on rail is a key step in Metlink’s transition to the future
National Ticketing Solution, enabling passengers to experience the same electronic payment method used on Wellington’s buses. Its broader roll out will facilitate a cultural shift by rail customers to electronic ticketing and enable a smoother transition to the NTS.
The bottom line is that international and local experience shows that customers prefer and use cash-free methods of payment for public transport.
GWRC’s focus is to provide better services to passengers and, in our regular customer satisfaction survey, passengers said that convenience of paying is an area we can improve on with 68 per cent of rail passengers currently satisfied compared to 78 per cent with our bus passengers. Clearly there’s room for improvement here and Snapper on rail will have a profound impact.
Customers will benefit from access to fare discounts and the convenience of not having to buy a paper ticket. Many also prefer to use electronic payment to track and manage their travel budgets, and often, that of their dependants. And as we’ve seen during Covid we need to have safe contactless methods of payment available across the region’s network.