Online rail ticket service thetrainline.com is planning to release a 'transactional' version of its mobile app later this month, enabling consumers to buy train tickets via their mobile phones. The current application, which is only available for the iPhone and other iOS devices, will be updated – and new versions will be produced for Android, BlackBerry, Nokia and other handsets.
Rail tickets purchased via the app will be available to collect from the station, with almost a thousand UK stations participating. Ticketless travel using on-screen barcodes is planned for the future.
Richard Rowson, product development director at thetrainline.com, said "We’ve not just replicated the website on the mobile, but completely tailored the proposition for the mobile traveller. Taking advantage of the personalised nature and location awareness of phones, it becomes possible to buy a train ticket by simply tapping “next train home” – far quicker and easier than any website or ticket machine can currently offer."
We spoke to Ben Whitaker, CEO of mobile ticketing business Masabi, about his company's partnership with thetrainline.com earlier this year. Click here to listen to the podcast.
[Sources: ZDNet.co.uk; WireFresh.com]