To bring greater convenience and savings, Metra is buying 650 vending machines that will be installed at 242 stations beginning later this year.
Most Metra stations don’t have agents, and most of the staffed stations have agents only in the morning hours. The weather-hardened, fully ADA-accessible vending machines will sell any Metra ticket, printing them at the time of purchase to save on costs, and will be available 24 hours a day. The machines will accept cash or credit and could eventually accept Ventra cards.
“These machines will allow Metra to meet a longstanding goal of eliminating cash sales of tickets onboard trains, and all the hassles and issues that go with onboard cash sales,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski.
“Beyond greater convenience and speed, they will also reduce person-to-person contact, speed up fare validation, reduce missed sales, cut printing costs, and allow for more flexible and promotional ticketing.”
The Metra Board approved a contract with VenTek International, of Petaluma, Calif., for $70 million, which includes the machines and five years of support and maintenance.