ON DECEMBER 14 Chiltern Railways and YourRail began a three-month trial of ticket delivery by mobile telephones, using the mobi-ticket system developed by Mobiqa for use at concerts and sporting events.

During the trials Chiltern Railways' E-Day advance-purchase ticket can be booked on line 24 h ahead of travel, with a bar code designed by internet retailer ts.com sent to the customer's mobile phone. Passengers then gain access to the platforms by scanning their phone screens on ticket gate readers, which have been manufactured by Symbol and supplied by Mobiqa.

Valid for travel between London Marylebone and Birmingham's Moor Street or Snow Hill stations, the E-Day ticket was first launched as an online-only ticket which had to be purchased seven days before travel, and printed at home. As part of the mobile trials, the quota for the £5 train-specific tickets is being increased from 80 to 400 seats a day.

Chiltern Railways plans to expand availability to other types of ticket if the pilot programme is successful, with the long-term aim of offering purchase and receipt of a full range of tickets by mobile phone. 'It is simple and convenient', said Commercial Director Neil Micklethwaite. Passengers 'want a simpler and easier way to purchase tickets for their travel,' and 'mobile ticketing will mean easy purchases, anywhere, any time.'

Yorkshire-based transport technology firm YourRail is responsible for developing the mobile ticketing project, and Director Martin Hathaway said 'people who are on the move turn to their mobiles phones to manage their lives, and we believe organising their transport this way will be popular.' According to Hathaway, future plans include the provision of real-time running information, and allowing passengers to purchase other products from their phones.