Rail Delivery Group, a consortium of train operators in the UK, is looking ahead with a newly announced ‘blueprint for the age of the digital train’ that will set the track for biometric ticketing.
The effort will proceed in stages, with the first step being the implementation of Bluetooth-infused mobile tickets. The consortium plans to foster the development of smartphone app tickets that would let passengers gain access through ticketing gates automatically, helping to improve efficiency and convenience. And that technology could then make way for biometric authentication, with Rail Delivery Group highlighting the potential of fingerprint and iris scanning in particular in a statement announcing its new blueprint.
A pilot project is planned for this year, with Chiltern Railways set to trialing biometric ticketing for its Oxford Parkway – London Marylebone route. The technology will link customers’ biometrics directly to their travel accounts, a statement from Rail Deliver Group suggests.
The new ticketing systems will arrive alongside new seat designs allowing more space for passengers on each train, and new AI systems allowing trains to coordinate more effectively.
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February 7, 2017 – by Alex Perala
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