Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien today joined the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Indra Group to officially open Indra Group’s new Dublin office, which will serve as the headquarters for the company’s operations in Ireland and will play a key role in supporting the ongoing modernisation of public transport payment systems across Ireland.
The new office, located in Heuston South Quarter, is a significant milestone for the Indra Mobility business and establishes a permanent presence for the company in Ireland. The facility will act as the operational hub for the Next Generation Ticketing (NGT) programme, facilitating greater collaboration with the NTA. It will also serve as a centre of innovation for other key initiatives, enabling collaboration with other stakeholders and fostering the development of cutting-edge solutions.
In 2024, the NTA awarded Indra the contract to deliver a state-of-the-art contactless payment system that will replace the existing Leap Card infrastructure. The NGT project will enable passengers to pay for travel using bank cards, mobile phones, and smart devices, making journeys faster, easier, and more flexible.
Building on the success of the Leap Card, which has processed over €2.8 billion in payments since 2011, NGT will introduce a cloud-hosted, Account-Based Ticketing platform.
Unlike many international contactless ticketing programmes that are rolled out by city or region, the NTA in partnership with Indra, is delivering a highly complex, end‑to‑end solution designed to ultimately operate across the entire Transport for Ireland (TFI) network, delivering a single, integrated solution for buses, trains, trams and regional services. Beginning in the Greater Dublin Area, the project involves the introduction of secure account‑based payments, where fares are calculated retrospectively and charged directly to customers’ bank accounts, requiring the highest standards of data protection, reliability and customer trust. The programme also includes the upgrade of approximately 240 railway station gates, around 1,000 station validators across LUAS and Irish Rail, and more than 2,800 on‑bus validators in the Greater Dublin Area alone. New validators will begin appearing from 2027, with contactless payments available from 2028. Throughout the transition, Leap Cards, Free Travel Passes and discounted fare products will continue to be fully supported, ensuring continuity for all passengers.
The office opening will also create about 40 new jobs, including approximately 30 roles dedicated to the NGT project, with further recruitment planned as the programme expands. These roles will include software development, systems integration, and operational support, supporting the delivery of Ireland’s nationwide contactless ticketing system.
Minister Darragh O’Brien said: ” The opening of Indra’s new headquarters in Dublin is a clear signal of Ireland’s ambition to lead in transport innovation. This office will be the nerve centre for the efficient delivery of a nationwide contactless ticketing system, improving convenience for passengers and supporting sustainable mobility. I will be working closely with the team to ensure it is delivered within the timelines promised. I look forward to seeing this transformation, making public transport easier for everyone across the country.”
Anne Shaw, CEO of the National Transport Authority, commented:
“Today’s office opening marks an important milestone in our partnership with INDRA. Having a dedicated team based in Dublin ensures that the Next Generation Ticketing project will be delivered with local expertise and global experience. This investment demonstrates the scale of the programme and our commitment to providing passengers across Ireland with a modern, integrated payment system.”
Raúl Ripio, Senior Vice-president of Mobility at Indra Group, added:
“Today marks a moment of great pride for Indra. The opening of our new headquarters represents a major milestone in our journey and underscores our strong commitment to sustainable, long-term growth in this country. It also reinforces our strategic alliance with NTA, united by a shared vision of progress and technological innovation. At Indra, we believe in the power of local talent and its ability to deliver a global perspective.”
Indra is one of the main partners for mobility in Ireland and has been collaborating on mobility projects and technological solutions in the country for more than 20 years, managing complex initiatives such as the platform that enables payment across all of Ireland’s motorways, the tolling technology for the Dublin Tunnel, and the railway management system for Ireland’s rail network.
For further information on the next generation ticketing project, please visit: https://busconnects.ie/cities/dublin/next-generation-ticketing-cashless-payment/