Chiltern Railways trials SMS mobile phone tickets

Chiltern Railways is trialling a system that will allow electronic train tickets to be sent directly to passengers' mobile phones by text message.

The rail company is looking to introduce the system by the end of this year and will run a three-month trial with the aim of making the service permanent if it runs smoothly.

The mobile trial will initially be limited to Chiltern Railways' E-day tickets, which can be purchased online from the rail company's website. The E-day tickets for the route between Birmingham and London already allow passengers to print their own ticket from their home PC.

The mobile tickets will have to be bought online at least 24 hours before travel and once the passenger has purchased the ticket a secure barcode is sent by text message to their mobile phone. The barcode can then be scanned at the ticket gates at the station.

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Chiltern said that ticket purchases on the move directly from mobile phones will be available at a later stage.

Neil Micklethwaite, commercial director for Chiltern Railways, said mobile ticketing provides lower-cost tickets for passengers.

He said in a statement: "We have listened to our passengers and what they want is a simpler and easier way to purchase tickets for their travel."

Chiltern Railways is working with internet retailer ts.com to make the online E-day ticket compatible with mobile phones and Yorkshire-based mobile-ticketing technology company YourRail.