Rail passengers are another step towards ticketless travel as TheTrainline, in conjunction with Midland Mainline, launches the UK’s first mobile phone ticketing pilot for business travellers.

As well as making train journeys simpler and easier for business travellers, mobile phone ticketing will:

• reduce the need for paper tickets


• encourage more passengers to use train travel, which is one of the greenest forms of transport


• help reduce ticket office queues

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 then be used to travel on Midland Mainline and can be validated by station staff and on-board train managers.

Mark Furlong, Commercial Director for TheTrainline says: “We work very closely with our customers so we know that mobile ticketing is what they want. Environmental issues and CSR feature high on their agendas and many of our customers are swapping planes for trains. As they do, we should also see schemes such as these, which eliminate the need for paper tickets, prove more popular.”

“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.”

Rachel Dawson Sales and Marketing Director for Midland Mainline, part of the National Express Group, says: “Mobile ticketing will ultimately help make train travel easier, quicker and less hassle for passengers. National Express is committed to finding innovative ways of making life easier for today`s public transport users, so we are delighted to be involved in these trials.”

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.