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French public rail trials RFID / USB combo ticket system

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/transportation/" rel="tag">Transportation</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/09/usb_train_tickets.png" alt="" /><br /> </div> In an effort to facilitate ticket purchasing, SNCF -- France's public rail system -- will commence a 1,000 user trial of its Weneo smart card system this Fall. Riders will be able to purchase tickets with the small USB dongles at turnstiles via <a href="http://www.engadget.com/tag/RFID">RFID</a>. Once the balance is depleted, users can refill their accounts by plugging the devices into a computer, whereby they're transported to the SNCF's online hub. Since only the rider's account number is stored in the RFID portion of the smart card, this system allows commuters hassle-free ticket purchasing, all while keeping important information privy from <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/19/rfid-credit-cards-easily-hacked-with-8-reader/">hackers</a> - information that some RFID devices seem to have <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/07/fastrak-toll-system-exposed-could-use-a-serious-dose-of-securit/">problems</a> keeping <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/one-billion-rfid-cards-vulnerable-to-hacks/">secret</a>. If all goes well, SNCF expects to expand the use of Weneo nationwide by 2010.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/french-railway.html">Wired</a>]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleprint/4283/-1/1/>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/04/french-public-rail-trials-rfid-usb-combo-ticket-system/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/forward/1304799/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/04/french-public-rail-trials-rfid-usb-combo-ticket-system/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/weblogsinc/engadget?a=OCrGBX"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/weblogsinc/engadget?i=OCrGBX" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?a=lvWchl"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?i=lvWchl" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?a=JY3hdl"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?i=JY3hdl" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~4/383722545" height="1" width="1"/>

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