India has one of the fastest growing populations of mobile phone users in the world – 690 million by 2020 , according to the GSMA . The UK , meanwhile , has 74 million mobile phone connections . It seems an obvious choice , but introducing mobile ticketing is just one way that smartphones could transform the UK railway network , just as they have enabled India ’ s railway revolution .

Another pillar of the digital transformation of India ’ s railways is growing internet penetration . In India , the government aims to increase the number of stations with high-speed wifi services to 400 by 2018 , allowing more passengers to stay connected as they travel . More than 1.5mn people in India already log on to Google ’ s free station wifi on their mobile phones – and that ’ s only available in 19 cities .

As more high-speed services are rolled out in India , there is a huge opportunity for railway operators to improve customer service . The same could be true in the UK . Using social media or apps , operators can

provide real-time travel updates to passengers , informing them of any delays or confirming platform information based on their mobile ticket . Passengers benefit from convenient , personalised updates , fostering greater loyalty .

Increased access to high-speed wifi also provides lucrative opportunities for retail businesses within train stations . Mobile is the perfect channel for retailers to provide personalised offers that can help drive footfall

10 September 2017