Rail tickets by mobile on track

UK railway Chiltern Railways is expected to be the first train operator in the country to begin delivering tickets to mobile phones.

Mobile ticketing technology, which is currently being tested, sends a bar code to the passenger’s mobile phone via SMS, which is then scanned at the ticket gates.

The technology will be available for Chiltern passengers by year end for three months with the objective of making of being implemented permanently. Evenutally, customers will be able to make ticket purchases on the move via mobile.

The pilot will allow customers to purchase the Eday ticket, priced from £5, on the Chiltern website. Once purchased, a secure barcode will be sent to the phone.