First TransPennine Express (FTPE) has teamed up with mobile app producer Masabi and online ticket provider thetrainline.com to offer customers a train ticket-booking app for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Nokia handsets. To download the app, search the relevant app store for ‘’tpexpress’ or text ‘TPEAPP’ to 86688. The app is free to download, and there is no booking fee when using the app.

Customers can pay for tickets by credit or debit card. Tickets can be collected from booking offices or ticket machines 10 minutes after pressing the ‘Buy’ button. Customers will soon have the option of using mTickets, sent direct to the mobile handset, on some routes and services.

“This application transforms the experience of buying rail tickets for consumers – whether they own a cutting edge smartphone or a basic five-year-old handset,” says Masabi CEO, Ben Whitaker. “The user interface is designed to make finding the best-priced fare easier than ever, letting consumers plan trips at their leisure.”