Boyertown, PA – (October, 2008) Gateway Ticketing Systems, the 20-year leader in ticketing solutions for the transportation industry, launched a custom developed Automated Ticket Validation (ATV) solution designed for Amtrak’s Downeaster rail line. The system is part of a pilot project being implemented on the 116-mile passenger train route connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine.
Currently, Amtrak operates the Downeaster under contract with Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) as a service to the state of Maine. The Downeaster provides passenger rail service to a total of ten stations from Portland, ME to Boston, MA.
Prior to implementing the custom designed electronic validation system, Amtrak was using a paper-based manual system for validating tickets. Conductors used a paper punch to validate individual tickets and then mailed them in bulk to Texas for batch processing. This translated into poor tracking and reporting as well as delayed revenue.
“The manual system was inefficient and provided no way for Amtrak to record usage information or stats, such as how many passengers were on a particular train on any given day,” said Jerry Lake, Gateway Program Manager. “There was also no way of knowing how many times a multi-ride ticket had been used, or how many uses were left. Gateway’s ATV solution provides the ability to validate tickets on-board via barcode scan or manually-entered ticket number using a handheld device,” he said.
Gateway’s ATV is a total solution which includes hardware and software that runs together seamlessly. Built on the company’s significant experience in the transportation industry, the system enables on-board electronic ticket validation, real-time ridership statistics, near real-time ticketing, and user and configuration data.
“Our ATV solution provides significant functionality designed to improve ticket usage tracking and management,” said Jim McGregor, Assistant General Manager in Gateway’s Calgary office. “It offers support of ‘dynamic trains,’ whereby a new train number can be created on-the-fly so that an unscheduled train can still have its usage statistics compiled correctly. Frequent uploads of collected usage information for near-real-time server updates gives us the ability to query the server for ticket usage statistics from all trains and hand-held devices,” he said.
vIn addition, the Gateway ATV solution supports enforcement of user privileges, providing the control on an individual user basis to exit the application, override certain types of tickets and dynamically create a new train number.
Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA Executive Director, is enthusiastic about the positive effect the new system will have on operations for the Downeaster. She said, “The electronic validation of tickets is a critical step in improving service, revenue accountability and security on our trains. It’s exciting to pilot this new technology on our Downeaster service.”
Given Amtrak’s long history of validating tickets with a paper punch, there was some initial resistance from conductors to switch to something new. However, thanks to a significant amount of up-front research into the requirements of the end-user, they came to appreciate it once the system was implemented.
McGregor said, “The Gateway, Amtrak, and NNEPRA teams collaborated on this project and held to their commitments to put ticket validation devices into the hands of the conductors. Gateway is proud to be an instrumental part of this pilot program and happy to help improve operational efficiency of our customer.”
Quinn added, “Gateway Ticketing has been a committed partner throughout this process and we look forward to continuing to develop this product so that it benefits not just the Downeaster, but entire Amtrak system as well.“
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About NNEPRA:
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority is a public transportation authority created in 1995 by the Maine State Legislature to develop and provide passenger rail service between Maine and Boston and in points within Maine. NNEPRA is the steward and manager of the Downeaster, a 116-mile (187 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine.
About Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc.:
Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc. celebrates 20 years as the world leader in high-speed admission control and ticketing software for the attraction, amusement, and transportation industries. Located in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, Gateway Ticketing Systems provides sales, service and support for Point of Sale and ticketing systems throughout North America and worldwide.
For more information on Gateway Ticketing Systems, visit www.gatewayticketing.com or call +1 (610) 987-4000.
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