UK: Arriva has awarded Fujitsu a seven-year contract to supply staff at its subsidiaries with what it says will be the UK rail industry’s ‘first smartphone-based ticket-issuing system’. Deployment is planned by March 2016.
Fujitsu’s STARmobile will run on Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphones issued to staff at Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways, as well as open-access operator Grand Central.
Fujitsu says overall operating costs should be reduced through the use of ‘commodity smartphones rather than a bespoke system’. The ‘intuitive’ mobile application will also provide staff with better access to real-time train-running information.
‘By working with Fujitsu to create an easy-to-use ticketing system, we will be able to offer tickets to our passengers in the quickest, most cost-effective way possible, while also equipping our employees with the information they need’, said CrossCountry Commercial Director David Watkin.
