Cubic to manage, operate D.C. Metro customer service center

Cubic Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corp., was awarded a $10 million contract to manage and operate the SmarTrip Regional Customer Service Center (RCSC) for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (D.C. Metro) in Washington, D.C. SmarTrip is Metro's smart card-based fare collection system, designed and integrated by Cubic more than 10 years ago.

Cubic's services for the RCSC will begin in July and include operation of the patron call center where cardholders can call or email to register their smart card, receive account information, retrieve lost passwords for online ordering and more. Cubic also will deliver and operate a smart card fulfillment center for SmarTrip card orders, as well as deliver and support a merchant retail network where customers can buy and reload value on their smart cards.

Initially, these services will support SmarTrip's two million customers and 200 retail merchants across the region. The SmarTrip system includes Metro and nine regional bus operators in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

In the future, Cubic's services will expand with the inclusion of the CharmCard system operated by the Maryland Transit Administration, which is also designed and delivered by Cubic.

The contract is for a three-year term, with an option to extend for two more years. The option value is $6.8 million.