More than 10,000 airport travellers have made use of a mobile phone-based ticket service on the Heathrow Express.

The system allows passengers to buy tickets online and either print off e-tickets or have one sent to their mobile.

Heathrow Express is the first customer to implement Atos's system known as Avantixmetro.

Using the system, passengers who choose to receive a ticket by SMS, will be sent a text message containing an internet link. When the passenger logs onto the link using their phone, they are able to retrieve their ticket, containing a barcode.

On the train, the inspector then scans and validates the code. A Heathrow Express spokesperson said the scheme helps customers to avoid queuing by using their mobile.

"The key reason Heathrow Express brought in this innovation was to make travel more seamless for our customers. Approximately 60 per cent of our customers are business passengers, and time is something they are very conscious of," he said.

The terminal used by train staff is built on the Casio IT-3000 and uses communications options including standard Bluetooth and Infrared Data Association capabilities, and a PCMCIA slot allowing GPRS and WLAN communications.

In April, Virgin Trains began piloting mobile ticketing, with a view to rolling it out nationwide in summer 2009

“Mobile ticketing is fast becoming the simplest and most cost effective way to sell train tickets,” said Tony Lacy, head of bus and rail at supplier Atos Origin.