All Aboard… With Your Credit Card!
If you’re boarding a train in Connecticut, you just might want to bring your credit card. Metro-North trains will begin accepting credit cards for onboard ticket sales in April. Passengers on the New Haven, Hudson, and Harlem lines will be the first to enjoy the new $3.6 million system.
The railroad developed its own software and hired some heavy-duty help to bring their dream to fruition. Based on cellular technology (enabled by Verizon Wireless), the new cashless option was mostly developed for new passengers who didn’t always have their tickets or cash in hand when they boarded the trains. Metro-North spokesman Dan Brucker says that rising gas prices have created an influx of new train riders.
The new ticket sale system is all about convenience. Customers’ credit cards are swiped on location. Sales data is stored in a hand-held receiver, then uploaded to a central database each day.
If possible, passengers should still purchase their tickets at the terminal, not from conductors. Onboard sales come with a penalty fee of $4.50 or higher.
