The UK’s first mobile phone ticketing service is set to trial on specified routes in the UK, and if successful will become another step towards ticket-less travel for rail passengers.
The trial is being run by TheTrainline, in conjunction with Midland Mainline, and is expected to take place on routes between London St. Pancras, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield .
As well as making train journeys simpler and easier for business commuters, mobile phone ticketing will also reduce the need for paper tickets, lower ticket-office queues and encourage more passengers to use rail travel - one of the greenest forms of transport .
The scheme will be trialled by one of TheTrainline’s corporate clients using Midland Mainline tickets sent to their mobile phones .
Business travellers will be able to book train tickets through TheTrainline’s business service and request that the ticket is sent via a secure message to their mobile phones . The ticket, once activated, can then be used to travel on Midland Mainline trains and can be validated by station staff and train managers on board.
Tickets must be used up to an hour and a half prior to travel .
Mark Furlong, TheTrainline’s Commercial Director commented: "We work very closely with our customers so we know that mobile ticketing is what they want. Environmental issues and CSR feature high on their agendas and many of our customers are swapping planes for trains."
"As they do, we should also see schemes such as these, which eliminate the need for paper tickets, prove more popular."
"As an independent rail retailer we are in an ideal position to develop products and services that will innovate and consolidate the rail industry. Mobile phone ticketing is part of our ongoing e- ticketing strategy," he added.
Rachel Dawson, Sales and Marketing Director for Midland Mainline (part of the National Express Group) said: "Mobile ticketing will ultimately help make train travel easier, quicker and less hassle for passengers."
"National Express is committed to finding innovative ways of making life easier for today’s public transport users, so we are delighted to be involved in these trials."
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