TheTrainline starts trials of mobile phone ticketing
TheTrainline and Midland Mainline have launched the UK’s first mobile phone ticketing pilot for business travellers.
The pilot 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 travel via TheTrainline’s business service and request that the ticket is sent via a secure message to their mobile phones.
Once the message has been activated, up to one and a half hours prior to travel, it can be used to travel on Midland Mainline and can be validated by station staff and on-board train managers.
The Trainline says mobile phone ticketing will reduce the need for paper tickets, encourage more passengers to use train travel, and help reduce ticket office queues.
Commercial director Mark Furlong said: “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.”
The mobile phone ticketing trial will involve 15 business travellers and will take place on specified routes between London St. Pancras, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield with Midland Mainline.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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