Russell McCullagh: We need high-speed tickets as well as trains

FASTER, easier, more efficient – just some of the adjectives used to support the plans for the HS2 rail service between London and Birmingham.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce has also come out in support of the project, citing the need to move the UK’s transport network into the 21st century and the business benefits that will bring.

However, modernising the track and rolling stock is just one, very expensive, part of the equation. People still need to get to and from stations, they need to make their connections and, most importantly, they need to be able to buy a ticket. Smart ticketing is part of all new rail franchise contracts, but these will be done in isolation. It is essential that smart ticket systems are joined up to maximise passenger-flow and improve customer experience.

A truly integrated transport system would offer a wealth of benefits to the UK economy. A business traveller arriving in Glasgow, for example, could take the subway to a meeting or another train to Edinburgh before getting on a tram without having to worry about ticketing or having joined a lengthy queue only to have just missed the next connection.

The Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation (Itso), the body that approves and sets standards for transport ticketing in the UK, has recently endorsed Remote Ticket Downloads to any mobile or fixed point, allowing passengers to pay for and book tickets using their smartphones, which can then be used to open station barriers or confirm payment on-board, just like London’s Oyster card. The first implementation of this system will be seen in the UK during 2012.

What makes Remote Ticket Download so attractive in terms of smart ticketing is that the cost of infrastructure is vastly reduced. All current rail ticket machines across the UK are online already. Platform gates, already running Itso-approved software, would simply need an application upgrade.

Travellers could also use existing chip-and-pin terminals in retail outlets to purchase/top up/collect tickets. Retailers would benefit by having the extra footfall in their stores and by not having to invest in additional terminals.

There are no firm plans to extend the line to Scotland. But to be truly effective, HS2 doesn’t just need to be a great project in its own right, it also needs to be a cog in a modern, efficient, smart transport infrastructure.

• Russell McCullagh, operations director of software firmEcebs