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New York's Metro-North Railroad to test smartphone-based ticketing system next month

New York's Metro-North Railroad to test smartphone-based ticketing system next month

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New York's Metro-North Railroad will soon be testing a mobile ticketing solution where riders buy and display tickets on their smartphones.

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Masabi iPhone app
Masabi iPhone app

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York has announced that it will soon be testing a smartphone-based ticketing system for the Metro-North Railroad. The trial will begin next month, and the MTA will be working with mobile ticketing firm Masabi — the same company bringing smartphone tickets to Boston this fall. During the trial, railroad employees will use the free app — which is available on iOS, Android, and BlackBerry — to both purchase and display train tickets. The MTA will be looking at how fast the process is compared to on-board ticketing, as well as exploring potential fraud concerns. If all goes well the system will be adopted for consumers, though there's currently no timetable as to when that might happen.