NJ Transit App Puts Ticket Booth in Your Pocket

The modern cell phone is a versatile device commonly used as a camera, a radio and now... a train ticket?

Sure, why not.

NJ Transit unveiled a pilot program Thursday on select service lines that would enable commuters to purchase tickets and monthly passes anytime, anywhere. 

“Giving customers the ability to purchase and display rail tickets right from their phones will make traveling on NJ Transit trains even more convenient for the customers who use our system every day,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman James Simpson. “Although the initial pilot is for our Pascack Valley and Meadowlands Rail Line customers, our ultimate goal is to put this technology into the hands of all of our rail customers.”

The MyTix app is a free download available for any web-enabled iOS or Android operating system via the App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices. 

The Pascack Valley Line, which runs from Spring Valley to Hoboken which stops at Wood-Ridge and Teterboro, and the Meadowlands Rail Line were chosen for the pilot run because the smaller customer base and more consistent rail crew and equipment assignments provide an ideal testing and training environment, NJ Transit officials said in a release Thursday.  

“We are testing mobile ticketing as part of NJ Transit’s ongoing effort to tap into the latest technology to improve the overall experience for our customers,” said NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein. “The mobile ticketing app will give Pascack Valley Line customers, and eventually all of our rail customers, the ability to treat their smart phones as both a ticket vending machine and rail ticket or pass all in one, providing for a seamless travel experience.”

To get the virtual tickets, MyTix users must first install the app and create an account, which will save credit card and profile information, as well as a history of ticket purchases. 

Purchased tickets must be activated prior to boarding the train and displayed to train crews upon request. One-way tickets expire two hours after activation and monthly passes self-activate on the first day of the calendar month and remain active for the entire month. 

Customers transferring at Secaucus Junction will need to scan the ticket barcode on the fare gate readers to pass through the gates.

Have you downloaded the app? Let us know what you think in the comments below.