Over the summer, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be testing out mobile ticketing on its Metro-North Railroad transport service. 

Masabi has been selected to provide the technology behind the pilot scheme, which will enable customers to buy and display tickets on iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices. The electronic tickets, bought using credit or debit cards, will contain a barcode which can be scanned by conductors.

“We are as excited to begin testing the next generation ticket selling technology as we were when we introduced ticket vending machines a quarter of a century ago,” says Metro-North president Howard Permut. “Our customers adapted quickly to TVMs and they became the preferred way to buy tickets.  The latest test is intended to ensure that the newest technology will be equally easy to use, as well as secure and reliable.”

The technology will undergo a test by railroad staff next month – including a time measurement study to compare it against the current process of ticket selling, collection and inspection. If successful, the pilot will then be expanded to MTAs customers.