Bar Codes on Phones Used As Train Tickets
The UK's Chiltern Railways has entered phase two of its mobile phone ticketing project following the success of the initial three month pilot during which 6,000 mobile phone tickets have been sold.
Working closely with project partners YourRail, Cubic Transportation Systems, Mobiqa and ts.com, Chiltern Railways is the first rail company in the UK to offer barcodes on mobile phones as an alternative to paper tickets.
Stage 2 will see further automation incorporated into the project.
Two scanning devices have been attached to the ticket gates at London Marylebone station to allow passengers to scan their own phones and open the gates.
The scanners, developed by Cubic Transportation Systems, were installed last week and are already helping to save time for passengers with mobile tickets who had previously been reliant on a member of staff to open the gates for them.
Chiltern Railways Commercial Director, Neil Micklethwaite said: "Our mobile phone ticketing pilot has been very successful from a technological point of view, but more importantly, it has proved very popular with our passengers, with over 99% telling us they would recommend it to a friend.
"We have listened to our passengers and what they want is a simpler and easier way to purchase tickets for their travel. Mobile phone ticketing means easy purchases, anywhere, any time.
"Our high-tech gate technology was installed last week. The next stage looks at ways to expand this product to other areas along our route.
Cubic Transportation Systems Business Development Manager, Rob Hughes said: "We are looking very keenly at the results of this trial as it moves forward into the next stage. It's very interesting to see how far the technology behind this mobile phone ticket can go into the future. Even at this early stage, it really does emulate the benefits for both operator and customer that the well established Oyster card provides in the city at large."
Currently, the service works with the E-Day tickets which are only sold online. The company says that it plans to expand this shortly."
Posted to the site on 3rd April 2007
