Chiltern Railways launches mobile ticketing app

British train operating company Chiltern Railways launched a mobile ticketing service that enables passengers to buy, instantly receive and validate tickets through an app on their mobile phone. The application has been developed with partners Atos Origin and Masabi. Passengers arriving at a station without a ticket will be able to get through the barrier within seconds, without needing to queue at ticket offices, contact a call centre or negotiate ticket machines. 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. The Chiltern Railways application does not charge a booking fee, and the application is free to download. To get the application, passengers just need to text 'Chiltern' to 88600 or search the relevant app stores. 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. Initially, the app is being launched for iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and other everyday phones.