About Us

Experience, Expertise and Innovation

Our core skills and experience are in the areas of:

• Proposition definition and development 
• Network infrastructure and application architecture 
• Sustainable service improvement at reduced cost
• Rapid project delivery to accelerate benefit realisation
• Transport ticketing including future ticketing technology
• Multi-application smart card schemes.

We approach each of our clients with fresh eyes to develop customised, unique strategies.

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Want to experience the expertise of Smartran for yourself? Give us a call today and let’s discuss what we can do for you.

Meet Our Team

Where the Passion Begins

Smartran’s resources bring a wealth of experience in the design, implementation and operation of industrial strength solutions to support information distribution, ticketing, retailing, intra-company trading, rewards, incentives and settlement. Smartran regularly contributes to industry forums and is often asked to speak or chair conferences.

At Smartran, we pride ourselves in developing long term client relationships which are built on trust and a track record of achievement. We focus on achieving the objectives and delivering the benefits. We carefully define the objectives, scope, timescales and expected output for each assignment undertaken. We ensure the correct mix of resources from the client organisation, Smartran and third parties is assembled on each team.

When required, Smartran can draw in additional resources from a network of known associates and business partners to provide subject experts or integrated project teams. Our team is eager to learn, open to new ideas and technologies and adaptable to the fast-changing and increasingly complex business environment. Read below to learn more about our exceptional team.

Kevin Farquharson 

MA (Cantab) MIET CEng

Managing Director 

Smartran is led by Managing Director Kevin Farquharson. Kevin’s background is in managing multi-million pound projects and contracts for blue chip companies in transportation, utility, telecoms and oil industries. After reading engineering at Cambridge, he was elected a Chartered Engineer and to full membership of the IEE. He worked in telecoms before moving into IT consultancy and project management.

Kevin has regularly contributed to industry forums including TCF, ITSO, LASSeO and SCNF and he is often asked to speak or chair conferences.

Erika Vincent

MBA (Durham)

Business Development and Marketing Director

Erika co-founded Smartran and has been Business Development Director since its launch. Erika has been instrumental in the company’s success and has advised the GLA, London Councils and many other authorities. Erika has led multiple successful OJEU/LA Framework bids. Erika also created a reward scheme to incentivise use of public transport and developed the brand and website.

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Previous business experience includes advertising and marketing campaigns for the Young & Rubicam Advertising Agency, Wunderman Worldwide and TV Production with The Travelling Matte Company. In the past Erika has been involved in Board level sales and marketing campaigns for British Gas, IBM, Dell, Compaq, BBC and Kraft Foods. 

John Vickers

MA (Cantab)

Finance

John has an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and is a Chartered Accountant with nearly 25 years’ experience in senior commercial finance and accounting roles with major companies in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices.

Before joining the team at Smartran, John worked for eleven years as Financial Director of a leading technical consultancy in the oil and gas sector. working as part of management team that expanded this wide-ranging international business from turnover of £28m to £230m though acquisition and organic growth. He has experience in systems development, international operations, commercial financial management, controls and governance, taxation and reporting working as part of management team that expanded this international business from turnover of £28m to £230m though acquisition and organic growth. 

Steve Beecroft
ACIB

Principal Consultant

Steve has over 25 years experience in the payment industry with Payment Networks, Issuers, Acquirers and disruptive technology providers for several payments channels including EMV, Chip & PIN Contactless, Mobile Contactless and Mobile Remote Payments. Steve has been at the forefront of the development of standards and best practice guidance for Contactless and Mobile Payments in UK and more widely across Europe with his representation on various steering groups at UK Cards Association (formally APACA) and European Payments Council. With extensive industry experience Steve is acknowledged as an expert in his field, and is regularly asked to speak at events, provide media commentary, and to join industry level working groups.

Chris Querée PhD

Principal Consultant

Dr Christopher Querée has over forty years’ consulting experience in transport ticketing, payment and information services. Chris has been working more recently as an independent consultant, contributing to a wide range of international projects. These include account-based smartcard and open payment ticketing schemes, mobile and barcode ticketing, European rail ticketing standards and legislation, and ticketing development strategy. He is a member of the CEN and ISO ITS technical committees and chairs the UIC Technical Group responsible for European passenger ticketing standards. He worked at RSP for several years on rail ticketing, new technologies and service management. Prior to that, he was a consultant at Detica, MVA/Systra and TPA, working on passenger transport and highway information and payment systems in the UK and worldwide.

Maddy Coates MSc

Principal Consultant

Maddy is an experienced project manager with a background in organisational change and operational analysis for Post Office Counters Ltd. As an internal consultant Maddy worked on operations, marketing and retail on a variety of products. She was seconded to a reorganisation team which scoped, designed, implemented and reviewed a new structure. Maddy was instrumental in setting up a five year project to automate counter positions.

Maddy worked on the London Connects Business Case and implemented the Hillingdon Resident Card and rollout of the London Borough of Waltham Forest OneCard into secondary schools.

Our Valued Clients

Smartran's clients include transport operators, DfT, Local Authorities, developers, schools, colleges, universities, ticketing system providers and RDG (formerly ATOC and Rail Settlement Plan).

Smartran is responsible for trialling one of the most innovative contactless payment in transport solutions, designing and implementing many of the resident cards schemes in London, is leading on the design of multi-application student cards and has advised the GLA, DfT, London Councils and many other organisations. 

Our team includes experts from many fields who are ready to help develop and grow your business. From initial ideas to execution, we have vast experience throughout. Have a look at our client list below and get in touch with any questions.

Nottingham Trams

Fares Collection & Ticketing

Project management and systems design 

Smartran was responsible for system design, implementation planning, integration of ITSO period pass, carnet and e-purse; TVM design and deployment, validators, handheld ticket checking and revenue protection; customer proposition, retail channels, customer service and maintenance arrangements with suppliers; recent PCIDSS review.

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Smartran has been re-engaged by Nottingham Trams to advise and assist with the renewal of ticket retailing including the addition of multi-operator Transit EMV acceptance.

MultiPass

Contactless EMV and Mobiles
Programme management and solution design

Smartran assisted MultiPass in delivering two innovative solutions for frictionless travel on rail (mobile app utilising blue tooth beacons) and contactless EMV payment acceptance on bus. The bus EMV trial was the first Touch on/off PAYG ABT scheme outside of London. It was an innovative and unique proposition for customers and bus operators which combines account based features and UK Cards Model 2 including liability sharing.

Merseyrail

ITSO Smart Ticketing
Project Management & Consultancy

Working closely with Merseytravel, Smartran was responsible for scope, design, planning, specification and resourcing of rail extension of Walrus smart ticketing and potentially part of Transport for the  North smart ticketing. Drawing in best practice and experience from other operators and city schemes. Scope of systems includes retail, gates, passenger validators, handheld checker and back office systems integration to deliver a customer service improvements and financial return.