# Binario case study: Making Italian train tickets simple to buy and use

Taking the train in Italy can mean three apps, different rules for each ticket, and a departure board you have to keep checking. Binario puts regional, airport, and high-speed trains in one timetable. Tickets are valid as soon as they're bought, and the app tells you about platform changes, delays, and strikes before you have to go looking.

- **Platform:** iOS, iPhone
- **Who it's for:** Commuters and travelers in Italy
- **Our role:** Product design, UX, UI, prototype
- **Year:** 2026
- **Tags:** iOS app, Travel & mobility, Ticketing, Product design, UX & UI, Clickable prototype

## The problem

Regional, airport, and high-speed trains are sold by different operators, each with its own app and its own rules, and travelers often find out which rules apply on the platform. We wanted one app that answers the questions people have at a station. Which train, which platform, is it on time, and is my ticket valid?

- **One trip, several apps.** Comparing a regional train with a Frecciarossa means opening two apps or two websites.
- **Rules change with the train.** Some tickets need validating, some carry a name, some only work on one train. People find out on the platform.
- **Changes arrive late.** A new platform or a delay shows up on the departure board before it shows up in the app that sold the ticket.
- **Strike days are guesswork.** When a strike is called, it's unclear which trains will run and what happens to a ticket that's already paid for.

## How we approached it

1. **One timetable.** Regional, airport, and high-speed trains appear in the same list, each with its time, duration, and price on one row.
2. **A ticket that's ready to use.** The ticket is a QR code that's valid for its train and time. There's nothing to validate, and it shows the platform.
3. **The app speaks first.** Platform changes, delays, and strikes arrive as alerts with the fix included, like the new platform or a free change.
4. **Clear prices for changes.** Changing to another train or day is free until departure, and every option shows its cost before you confirm.

## Onboarding

**The problem:** People often download the app at the station with a train to catch, so setup has to be short and easy to skip.

**What we did:**

- The welcome screen shows the timetable itself. The first thing people see is the app doing its job.
- Each permission explains itself. Location finds the nearest station, and notifications cover delays, platforms, and strikes.
- Sign-in takes Apple, Google, or a code by email, and buying as a guest is always possible.

**Screens:** Splash (Trains in Italy, simply); Welcome (The timetable is the first thing people see); Permissions (Location and alerts, each with its reason); Sign in (Apple, Google, a code by email, or as a guest); Verify email (A six-digit code instead of a password).

## Finding a train

**The problem:** In most apps, checking the next train means typing the route in again every time.

**What we did:**

- The app opens on the next trains for a saved route, with a countdown on the first one.
- Each departure shows its time, duration, direction, and price on one row.
- Station search matches as you type and lists recent routes underneath.
- Filters narrow the list by train type, from Regionale to Frecciarossa, or to direct trains only. A journey shows every stop and the platform before you buy.

**Screens:** Timetable (The next trains on a saved route, with prices); Stations (Matches as you type, recent routes below); Date and time (Depart or arrive, by day and time); Sort and filter (Fastest, cheapest, train type, direct only); Journey (Every stop, the platform, and the price).

## Booking

**The problem:** High-speed tickets need a class, a seat, and names. Regional tickets need none of that, yet most apps put everyone through the same steps.

**What we did:**

- Booking changes with the train. A regional ticket is a fare and a passenger count, and a high-speed ticket adds class, seat, and names.
- Fares describe what they cover in plain words, like any Malpensa Express today, or return within 30 days.
- High-speed results compare operators side by side and mark the fastest and the cheapest.
- The seat map shows free and taken seats coach by coach with the price of the seat you pick, and passenger names can be saved for next time.

**Screens:** Fare (One way or return, adults and children); High-speed results (Operators side by side, fastest and cheapest marked); Seat (Coach by coach, with the seat's price); Passenger details (Names saved for next time).

## Paying and traveling

**The problem:** Even after paying, travelers keep checking boards and announcements to see if their train is on time.

**What we did:**

- Checkout offers Apple Pay, Satispay, a card, or PayPal, with the cancellation terms right under the pay button.
- The ticket shows the platform and class and says clearly that it doesn't need validating. It can go to Wallet.
- Live trip follows the train stop by stop, shows any delay, and can wake the traveler five minutes before their stop.
- Strike alerts list the guaranteed trains, flag trips at risk, and offer a free change or a full refund.
- Changing a ticket shows what each option costs before you confirm, and refunds go back to the original payment method.

**Screens:** Checkout (Four ways to pay, terms under the button); Payment done (Ticket and receipt sent, calendar one tap away); Ticket (A QR code that needs no validating); My tickets (Active and past, the next one first); Live trip (Stop by stop, with a wake-up before your stop); Strike alert (Guaranteed trains, and a free change or refund); Change or refund (Every option priced before confirming); Alerts (Platform changes, delays, and strikes, with the fix).

## Account and help

**The problem:** Regular travelers buy the same tickets over and over and need receipts for work, so the account has to keep what they reuse.

**What we did:**

- Saved routes, like home to work, are at the top of the profile.
- Passes and discount cards show what's left, like 17 days on a monthly pass, and a button to renew.
- Receipts are grouped by month, and business travelers can turn on invoices for work trips.
- Help answers the common questions first, starting with whether a ticket needs validating.

**Screens:** Profile (Saved routes, passes, payment, and receipts); Settings (Alerts, language, home station, and class); Personal details (Name, contact, and tax code for invoices); Payment methods (Tap one to make it the default); Passes and cards (Monthly passes and discount cards); Receipts (By month, with business invoices); Help (Common questions answered first).

## The visual system

White screens and black type, with red used only for what's happening right now.

- **Times first.** Departure and arrival times are the biggest text wherever they appear, because they're what people scan for.
- **Red means now.** Red marks the next train's countdown, the train's live position, and new alerts.
- **One typeface.** Geist in a few sizes keeps dense timetables readable on a small screen.
- **Accent options.** The accent is a single setting in the prototype, with red, blue, and black versions to compare.

## How success is measured

The numbers that show whether the design fixes the problem.

- Time from opening the app to a paid ticket
- Share of tickets bought from a saved route
- How many strike-day changes and refunds are done in the app
- How often people use Track train during a trip

HTML: https://www.choie.co/work/binario