Amtrak has found a new use for the iPhone, as train conductors now use Apple’s device to scan passengers tickets electronically. The included software also allows conductors to report equipment failures.
Amtrak, which is owned by the U.S. government and has more than 20,000 employees, began issuing iPhones to train conductors last November, according to The New York Times. By late this summer, the company plans to have a total of 1,700 conductors using iPhones to scan tickets across the country.
Amtrak invested $7.5 million in its new iPhone-based ticketing system. Most of the cost, $5.5 million, went to developing the software, with the remaining $2 million spent on the hardware end of the solution.
The new system allows passengers to print their own tickets, or to load tickets on their smartphone. A barcode, printed on the ticket, or displayed on screen with the digital ticket, can be scanned with an iPhone, which is outfitted with a scanner and the Amtrak custom application.
Each iPhone is equipped with a special case that includes the scanner, and also an external battery, allowing extended operation of the device. The setup is similar to Apple’s own iPod touch EasyPay checkout system in use in its retail stores.
Amtrak’s customer software also allows conductors to inform other staff if a disables passenger needs special assistance, and can also be used to report equipment failures, such as a malfunctioning toilet.
