Paper tickets will disappear from British trains by 2010 and be replaced by self-print tickets and mobile phone text messages, according to rail booking service TheTrainline.
The prediction comes as the company launches an e-ticketing trial with rail operators Midland Mainline and One. Print@Home will allow passengers to book discounted train travel on certain routes at www.thetrainline.com, www.midlandmainline.com or www.onerailway.com and print out the booking on a home or office printer. The paper booking can then be validated by station and on-board staff when travelling. The routes covered by the trial are between London St Pancras, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield with Midland Mainline and London Liverpool Street and Cambridge with One.
Mark Furlong, TheTrainline’s commercial director, said: “e-ticketing is part of our commitment towards innovative retailing and ticket solutions that meet the needs of both customers and industry. We know through research that our customers are keen to use e-ticketing, so we are delighted that Midland Mainline and One have come on-board.
“Print@Home is just the first element of our e-ticketing strategy which will eventually see customers receiving a booking reference number, or barcode, via SMS to their mobile for on-board validation by a train manager.”
Jonathan Denby, a spokesman for One added: “We are always looking for ways to enhance the travel experience for our customers which is why we are so excited about this trial. After all, in our experience rail ticket buyers prefer the thought of instant ticket delivery, over waiting for the mail or queuing at a station, and Print@Home taps directly into this.”
However, not all rail firms believe that e-ticketing technology is mature enough yet. A GNER spokesman said it had looked at the technology but had not found a system that would work yet.
