The UK's Heathrow Express has launched mobile ticketing across its route from Paddington Station in London.
The service enables passengers to avoid queues at the station by receiving tickets directly to their mobile phone or PDA, says IT company Atos Origin, which installed the system.
When booking tickets, customers can opt to receive either a bar-coded e-ticket that is registered to their mobile phone, or a self-print version of the ticket.
Both types of ticket are then scanned and validated on-board the Heathrow Express by train staff, says the company.
The terminal is built on the Casio IT-3000, which works using standard Bluetooth and IrDA, with a function allowing GPRS and WLAN communications.
Head of bus and rail at Atos, Tony Lacy, says mobile ticketing is "fast becoming the simplest and most cost effective way to sell train tickets".
By Ozge Ibrahim
