Tickets on demand: mobile breakthrough for rail passengers thetrainline.com app a firm favourite with travellers looking to buy train tickets via their mobile
* In an industry breakthrough, travellers are now able to buy train tickets on the go from their mobile handset, and collect them moments later from any of over 900 stations.
* Launched last week, thetrainline.com’s new upgraded app enables travellers to save time and buy train tickets quickly and easily from the convenience of their mobile phone for the very first time.
* Since its initial launch last October, over 800,000 people have downloaded the free thetrainline.com iPhone application, which has consistently ranked as a top 5 travel app in the iTunes App Store, and has clocked up 1 million journey plans per week.
* Nearly half of these users have already upgraded to the latest version launched last week allowing them to buy tickets, and ticket sales are well ahead of expectations.
* In another development, thetrainline.com app will also be available to download for free for use on Blackberry, Nokia, Android and many other mobiles, providing access to the same core functionality through most mobile phones.
* Despite only launching little over a week ago, there are plans to extend its functionality even further in the near future. Soon thetrainline.com will also be enabling the ability for the ticket to be delivered directly to the phone as a secure barcode, replacing the need for a ticket altogether on selected routes.
Richard Rowson, product development director for thetrainline.com, said: “With 43% of rail passengers saying they would like easier ways to purchase and obtain tickets*, we’re confident that our mobile app will bring about a clear change in how people buy train tickets.
“The personalised nature of a phone and the ability to tap into features such as location awareness means that this is now one of the easiest possible ways to buy a train ticket. The app lets you configure your home station, manage favourite journeys, and store your credit/debit card details in your account meaning that you need do little more than tap on “next train home” to buy a train ticket home – no website or ticket machine is that simple!”
The new app is currently available to download for free for iPhone (including iPod touch), most Blackberries and most Nokia handsets. Other handsets are being added weekly, with the vast majority of handsets expected to be supported by the end of year.
To download the iPhone app please visit the Apple Store or www.thetrainline.com/tools/iphone-app/<http://www.thetrainline.com/tools/iphone-app/>. (Users of the existing iPhone app from thetrainline.com will be automatically notified of the free upgrade). For download instructions for other handsets, and a list of supported handsets, visit www.thetrainline.com<http://www.thetrainline.com>.
About thetrainline.com
thetrainline.com is the leading UK rail ticket retailer and rail ticket information provider, offering fast and easy access to timetables, fares, reservations and tickets through its Internet site and contact centre operations in the UK train travel sector. In addition to its own website, www.thetrainline.com, it operates retail websites for 15 Train Operating Companies who sell rail tickets online, as well as providing a rail business travel service direct to a number of blue chip corporations and travel agents.
