Train
TrainiStock

Israel Railways will run a pilot program allowing passengers to board trains without purchasing tickets beforehand, instead paying via credit card at the entry and exit gates, Maariv reported.

Passage and charge through the gates will be via a special chip, EMV Contactless, which is incorporated into newer credit cards. Those passengers not part of the pilot program will be able to use their Rav Kav cards at the gates, in the same way they use other gates at the station.

The two-month pilot program is in cooperation with Isracard. In preparation for the pilot program, Israel Railways has installed "smart" entry and exit gates at several train stations, including: Tel Aviv Hahagana, Tel Aviv Hashalom, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Binyamina, Netanya, Rehovot, Lod, Yavneh East, and Modi'in Center. In the coming days, a smart gate will be installed in the train station in Be'er Yaakov as well.

During the pilot phase, the credit card will be charged daily for the purchase of a one-time ticket. Israel Railways plans to offer integrated purchases in the future, to allow purchases in accordance with the number of trips, and to suggest daily, weekly, or monthly passes. In addition, Israel Railways plans in the future to offer payment options in accordance with the traveler's profile, so that students and senior citizens can receive their relevant discounts.

Allowing passengers to pay via credit card at the boarding gate will especially help tourists, most of whom do not have a "Rav Kav" card, Maariv noted.

Quoting an Israel Railways statement, Maariv wrote: "Israel Railways invested many resources into integrating advanced technology to improve service and save time. Recently we carried out a successful pilot run which included automatic compensation in the case of delay, which is credited directly to the passenger's Rav Kav. In addition we now show how crowded the trains are both on our site and on our app, and also show how trains are moving in real time. In the coming months we will examine this pilot and based on the results we will decide whether to expand it to additional stations and to the general public."