Chiltern Railway launches mobile ticketing phone app

App delivers ticket as a 2D barcode to mobile phone

Chiltern Railways have launched an integrated mobile ticketing system that enables passengers to buy, instantly receive and validate tickets through an app on their mobile phone.

The application can be used from anywhere and remembers favourite journeys and payment card details, so that travel can be made with just a few key presses.

This innovation marks the first time that any rail passengers have been able to use both Smartphones and everyday handsets to buy and receive rail tickets through one transaction.

This free mobile application provides passengers with details of the cheapest prices and train times, and then delivers the ticket as a 2D barcode within the application. The company has invested in special scanners on gates at stations to enable passengers to enter and exit as if they had a traditional ticket and also on equipment for ticket inspectors to read the mTickets.

The application has been developed with partners Atos Origin and Masabi and is initially being launched with versions for iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and other everyday phones.

Thomas Ableman, Marketing Director of Chiltern Railways said: "The Chiltern Mainline will reduce journey times significantly and our app ensures that passengers spend far less time searching for, queuing, buying and printing tickets."

"Rigorous usability testing means that we are confident our app is simple and easy to use for all passengers and we are delighted to have developed this industry first by making ticketing faster at a time when we’re also doing the same to our trains."

Further information:
Masabi
Chiltern Railways