Fare Dealing on the Internet

Ticketless travel currently is rare on inter-city trains in the UK. This article describes the efforts of one company, Stagecoach, to make ticketless railroad travel more common. In Stagecoach's system, called Megatrain, customers book online for a small booking fee and the booking reference is sent electronically to the customer's mobile phone and the station guard. The trains are operated as standard timetabled services but with designated areas for Megatrain customers. The service is being promoted heavily to new users who might not otherwise use the train and is seen as a way to fill seats that otherwise would have remained empty. It is particularly popular among students, due in part to the extremely low fares available. The service launched in November 2005 on two trial routes, and has since expanded to cover several more cities. To date, 100,000 people have used Megatrain.