Stockholm’s Transit Upgrade Slashes Fare Dodging, Boosts Convenience

Stockholm’s Public Transit Gets a 21st-Century Upgrade, Thanks to HID

HID, a global frontrunner in secure identity and authentication solutions, has announced its successful collaboration with Stockholm’s public transit authority, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), in a sweeping digital ticketing modernization. This initiative is revolutionizing the daily commute for hundreds of thousands of passengers in the Swedish capital, bidding farewell to paper tickets and embracing seamless contactless payments across all modes of transport: buses, ferries, trams, and metro stations.

The tech overhaul has yielded impressive results, most notably a significant reduction in fare dodging, translating to millions of Swedish Kronor recovered for SL.

Residents Experience Faster, More Convenient Travel

With HID’s new integrated ticketing devices, commuters can now tap and go using their preferred payment method – be it a mobile app, contactless card, or digital wallet – across all 2,600 buses, 140 ferry validators, 320 tram platforms, and 1,035 metro fare gates in the greater Stockholm area.

A crucial factor in selecting the new ticketing infrastructure was its ability to withstand harsh Nordic winters, ensuring reliability for passengers who depend on public transit year-round.

“Serving hundreds of thousands of passengers daily across multiple transit modes demanded a ticketing solution that could grow with our needs while delivering a consistent experience for our riders,” said Karin Harrius, Business System Administrator, Ticket Readers at SL. “We chose HID for its multi-technology ticket validators for buses, ferries, and gates, as well as its ability to seamlessly integrate with our existing hardware, systems, and networks. It was a challenging endeavor for everyone involved, but one we successfully navigated together.”

The implementation focused on providing a consistent validation experience and a seamless ecosystem across all transit touchpoints. Key features include:

• Enhanced passenger convenience on buses: HID VAL100 ticket validators with HID TripTick™ barcode technology and NFC/RFID contactless payment functionality for easy ticket and travel pass validation.

• Reliable outdoors operation in extreme weather: HID VAL150 validators with a waterproof design on ferries and tram platforms, ensuring functionality even in the toughest conditions.

• Streamlined fare collection across metro stations: HID TripTick 220 OEM barcode, NFC, and cEMV ticket modules within fare gates and ticket machines, enabling multi-format ticket reading throughout the system.

Significant Reduction in Fare Evasion

The modernization has brought substantial financial benefits to SL. Fare evasion has plummeted from 3.1% in 2019 to just 2.3% in 2023 – a 26% reduction that has recovered millions of Swedish Kronor annually, which can now be reinvested in public transit infrastructure and services.

The impact was particularly noticeable on ferry services, where ticket validation rates soared from 58% in November 2021 to 89% by March 2025. This improvement ensures that all users contribute fairly to maintaining these vital transportation links connecting Stockholm’s islands and waterways.

Digital-First Approach Meets Evolving Expectations

This comprehensive digital transformation caters to the evolving expectations of Swedes in an increasingly mobile-first society. The system’s ability to prevent ticket duplication and unauthorized sharing on social media platforms is particularly beneficial, addressing issues that had previously undermined fare revenue and service sustainability.

Serving Stockholm County – which accounts for 20% of Sweden’s population despite covering only 2% of the country’s area – the scalable, open-architecture system ensures that SL can adapt to evolving technologies and passenger expectations.

The system’s flexibility allows for future integration of new technologies and travel services without requiring complete infrastructure replacement, safeguarding public investment while fostering service innovation.