T launches smartphone ticket app

BOSTON (AP) -- MBTA commuter rail customers who take the train out of North Station can now simply flash their smartphones to show conductors their tickets.

The T on Monday launched a program that will allow riders to purchase and display tickets on their phones, a program that's expected to expand to rail customers on South Station lines and ferries after Thanksgiving.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is the first major U.S. commuter rail to offer passengers an alternative to paper.

T officials tell The Boston Globe widespread use would save the transit agency from handling much of the $20 million in cash now changing hands in annual on-board transactions, which slows conductors; cut down on the punch-ticket debris littering cars; and help customers avoid waiting in lines to buy paper tickets.

The app is available for iPhones (here) and Androids (here).