Great Western Railway expands use of mobile tickets

You can now go from booking to boarding in just a matter of minutes and without the need for a paper ticket, as Great Western Railway (GWR) launches mobile ticketing across its network this week. Passengers can now use their smart phone or tablet as a pocket ticket machine to purchase and to travel following the installation of barcode readers at station ticket gates across the GWR network.

By downloading  the app for free customers can instantly purchase a wide range of ticket types, including on the day ‘walk-up’ fares. You can also book your ticket via the GWR website and download your ticket to your phone.  The scheme covers all singles and return tickets; standard and first class, adult and child. Season tickets; Group Save and Rangers and Rovers are not currently available.  Tickets are displayed on the phone screen as an encrypted barcode to be scanned by new readers at ticket gates, and can also be checked on board by train managers with mobile barcode reading devices. 

GWR’s Head of Retail Lee Edworthy explains, “Technology has fundamentally changed the way that we travel. The expansion of mobile ticketing will make buying a ticket and travelling with us much easier and more convenient, saving valuable time for customers. As one of the UKs leading transport providers, GWR is committed to making travelling by train even easier, and that is why we continue to develop our online and mobile ticketing service, ensuring we put our customers first and help communities to prosper.”

Customers can download the app from GWR.com/mobile or from the Android and Apple app stores. Previously only a limited number of tickets for selected journeys could be displayed on a mobile device and all other ticket types purchased had to be collected from a ticket machine using the unique reference number sent to the customers’ device via e-mail.

Popular GWR routes where this service can be used include those in and out of London Paddington, Bath Spa, Bristol, Cardiff, Chippenham, Oxford, Plymouth, Reading and Swindon. However, please note that mobile tickets are only presently available to/from stations with a ticket gateline.  Those customers buying tickets for use on other journeys right across Britain can still use the GWR mobile app and then simply collect their tickets from a ticket vending machine or sales office at the station.  

To be in with a chance of winning one of 20 prizes of £200 in GWR e-Vouchers, simply register on www.gwr.com/mobilecomp, and purchase a ticket from 18 April until Wednesday 16 May for travel up to and including Wednesday 23 May.