Ken Valenti

klvalent@lohud.com

Tap your smartphone a few times, flash it at the Metro-North Railroad conductor, and your fare will be paid — once a new app is operating.

"The transaction is so quick I can do it walking through Grand Central with my head down," said Josh Robin, a vice president of Masabi, the company contracted to provide the service.

Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road agreed Monday to hire the company to provide the app for customers. The contract was approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board Wednesday.

"More convenient ticketing options means a better experience using the train," Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti said. "We want to make riding the train as easy and convenient as we can."

Neither Masabi nor Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders could say when the app would be available. The MTA said the service may not offer all ticket types when it debuts. Each railroad may offer it in phases.

With Masabi's app, already used by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston area, customers can buy tickets on their tablets and other devices as well as smartphones. They can show the tickets to the conductor on the phone or tablet, or show a code that can be scanned by electronic devices.

The service would cost Metro-North and LIRR about 6 cents per transaction. They estimated each railroad will pay $1 million for the service over the six years of the contract.