The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) launched a mobile app providing commuters of the CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line East with the ability to purchase tickets for the respective rail lines using their smartphone devices. The app, CTrail eTix, is a more convenient way to pay rail fare without needing to carry and display a paper ticket.

With CTrail eTix, passengers can purchase tickets using a credit or debit card and store them electronically on their device. When ready to use a mobile ticket, the passenger opens the CTrail eTix app and presses a button to activate the mobile ticket. After the ticket is activated, passengers then show it to the train conductor from their smartphone screen.

The app can be used to purchase Shore Line East and Hartford Line tickets, with optional connecting service on New Haven Line (Metro-North) trains using a single device in one transaction.

CTDOT conducted a pilot program of a beta version of the application in April 2019. In that pilot program, a selected group of CTrail passengers was able to complete purchases of mobile tickets and used the app to board CTrail trains. During the testing phase, the app was received with enthusiasm and users rated the application highly. Input and feedback from the pilot participants have been incorporated into CTrail eTix version 1.0, which is now available to the public for download and use.