This AFC Solution can be implemented for metro, light rail, BRT and regional rail systems. Our station and central computer systems ensure visibility and reliability in revenue management, passenger management and operations management at all levels. Fully integrated systems allow operators to efficiently manage and control all devices and equipment installed, including automatic gates, ticket validators, ticket vending machines, and ticket offices in a convenient manner.
Operators are able issue tickets and to verify validity of tickets, provide card and ticket related customer services, for instance ticket adjustment and refund.
System Architecture
- The solution is divided into multiple levels in accordance with system architecture.
- Level 0 is defined as Fare Media, by which passengers pay for fare.
- Front-end devices, i.e. Ticket Vending Machine, Ticket Office Machine, and Automatic Gate, are found at Level 1.
- Station Computer System at Level 2 links up all the Level 1 devices at a station together.
- Transport Operator Computer System at Level 3 connects the Station Computer Systems of an operator with Central Computer System at Level 4.
Commuter buys AFC card at Ticket Office Machine at metro station.
For commuters who pay in cash for a single journey, commuters purchase single journey tickets at Ticket Vending Machine installed at station in unpaid area. A ticket will be issued with the information of ticket type, entry and exit station and date and time.
To enter the station, commuters tap AFC cards at Automatic Gate installed in station between the unpaid area and paid area.
Transaction records are uploaded to and blacklist downloaded from Station Computer. Ticket Office Machine, Automatic Gate, Ticket Vending Machine will communicate to Station Computer on real-time basis.
After the receipt of transactions, Station Computer submits transactions records to Central Computer via Transport Operation Central Computer which is optional.
Central Computer checks transaction certificate to ensure that there is no tampering of transaction record. It also checks debit certificate to ensure that the money is indeed debited from the card by the said terminal.
With transaction records, Central Computer can generate different kinds of report and analysis, e.g. top-up statistics, debit statistics, bus report, bus line report, ridership analysis, etc. Station Computer is able to generate reports for the station it locates at.
Featured Components
Ticket Office Machine
Ticket Office Machine
The Ticket Office Machine is designed especially for use in AFC systems for metro and railway, for ticket issuance, reloading, ticket refund, ticket adjustment and AFC card services. It is installed between the unpaid area and paid area at stations and operated by station personnel. It has a full suite of operations and service capability, for both single journey tickets and AFC cards.
Key Features
- Configurable tickets and products available
- Fare media status enquiry
- Fare adjustment in case of wrong data encoded in tickets
- Ticket analyser to check validity of ticket, fare data, remaining value of AFC Card
- Audit trial to monitor and track the login of operators
- AFC Card services: card issuance, card reloading, card refund, card enquiry, card replacement
Ticket Vending Machine
Ticket Vending Machine
The Ticket Vending Machine is an unmanned machine installed in the unpaid area at stations, for ticket issuance and reloading. A Man Machine Interface (MMI) screen is provided as combined passenger information display and control panel to passenger interaction. It is connected to the Station Computer for transaction and configuration data exchange.
Key Features
- Configurable tickets and products available
- Record of ticket price, type of ticket, date and time and terminal information
- Fare media sales
- Acceptable of bank notes and coins
- Change of bank notes/coins
- Status reporting to Station Computer
Automatic Gate
Automatic Gate
The Automatic Gate is designed especially for use in AFC systems for metro or railway for ticket validation and access control. It is equipped with Ticket Validator, single journey ticket collector and various sensors. It is installed between the unpaid area and paid area and enables passenger to pass through the aisle between the two areas.
Key Features
- Can be configured as Entry Aisle, Exit Aisle and Reversible Aisle
- Validates ticket and controls access
- Collects single journey ticket
- Uploads transaction data and transmits status to Station Computer System
- Indicates status of gate (i.e. in, out or out-of-order)
- Reliability: MTBF > 10,000 hours
Components
- Controller Board
- Reader component
- Single journey ticket collector
- Safety seniors
- Passenger information display (TFT screen)
- UPS
- Alarm speaker
Station Computer System
Station Computer System
The TNS Station Computer System monitors all devices and equipment installed in a station and communicates with the Central Computer System. It receives the information on statuses of devices (e.g. whether the Automatic Gate is set to be in or out, number of single journey tickets collected in Automatic Gate) and sends out control commands. It also collects transaction data and uploads to the Central Computer System.
Key Features
- Supervises controls and monitors AFC devices
- Collects transaction data and passes it up to level 3
- Downloads equipment configuration data to equipment
- Equipment controls
- Alarm detection
- Report generation
- Operator Shift Management
- Ticket Stock Control
Components
- Station Control Console
- Station PC
- Report printer
- Alarm log line printer
- PCM connector
Central Computer System
Central Computer System
The TNS Central Computer System is the central clearing house system to verify and process transactions and to perform clearing and settlement functions. The Central Computer System comprises of six primary modules – the System Parameter, Card Management, Transaction Management, Operation Management, Report and Analysis, and Clearing and Settlement.
Key Features
- Validation of Transaction, POS Certificate and Debit and Credit Signatures
- E-purse ID and Transaction Counter Verification
- Transaction and Card Balance Audit
- Key Management System Interfacing
- Capable of multi-issuer and multi-acquirer systems
- High data integrity with database cluster, multiple levels of data backup, data recollection mechanisms and sound transaction processing techniques
- Multiple levels of authentication, authorization, firewall, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) and Hardware Security Module (HSM)