Amtrak to Use iPhones as Electronic Ticket Scanners

Amtrak has been training conductors since November to use the iPhone as an electronic ticket scanner, reports The New York Times. Currently the device is being tested on a few routes including Boston to Portland, Me., and San Jose, Calif., to Sacramento.

By the end of the summer, 1,700 conductors will be outfitted with the iPhone on trains across the country.

The new system lets passengers print tickets or display bar codes on their smartphone screen for scanning.


"You don't even need to print the document and bring it with you," said Matt Hardison, chief of sales distribution at Amtrak, who helped plan the iPhone program. "We've made a number of important improvements for both our customers and Amtrak, all in one fell swoop."

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. For example, with the app, conductors can indicate to the engineer if a disabled person is getting on at a particular stop so that the train staff can be prepared to coordinate the track and the wheelchair lift. The app also allows conductors to report equipment failures, like broken toilet fixtures, to mechanics.

Using the new system, conductors can also monitor check-ins in real time. This lets them determine if passengers have shown up to manage seating more effectively.

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