National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak, is set to become amongst the first rail systems in the world to adopt Apple’s iPhone to handle the punching of traveler tickets.
That’s according to The New York Times (via TUAW), who report that at least 1,700 conductors working for the company will take advantage of the new methods.
This new system will reportedly consist of an iPhone set to be hooked up to a new piece of custom hardware designed by the Übermind agency in Seattle, specifically for the purpose of punching tickets.
Each conductor’s iPhone is equipped with a case containing an extra battery and a bar-code scanner, and has a special app to scan tickets but also to do much more.
As for passengers:
For passengers, the new system means it will be easier to book or modify reservations. For example, if a rider discovered at the last minute that she had to take a train at a different time, she could make the change online or in Amtrak’s iPhone app, whereas previously she would have had to refund a ticket and buy a new one at a machine or through an agent.
Released last month, Amtrack’s travel application is available as a FREE download from the iTunes App Store. The app provides both travel information and the ability to book and modify your reservation(s).
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