Eurostar is to trial the use of biometrics for customers checking in for services at its St Pancras International hub.
The high-speed rail operator first announced plans for a biometrics trial last summer – the initiative had been scheduled to launch in March this year, but trusted identity, payments and data protection firm Entrust confirmed that its solution would “soon be piloted in the UK by Eurostar”.
Participants will register their face and passport before travel, and will then be able to check in for their journey at St Pancras “using only their face”, with passport data being sent to UK border force to allow the traveller to exit security checks.
Entrust said that its Seamless Travel Solution, in partnership with iProov, “enables a touchless and seamless experience for travellers by minimising contact points, while bringing simplicity and greater security for border control, immigration and travel service provider operations”.
“As citizens of the world begin to travel again, now is the perfect time to bring this solution to the market,” said Gordon Wilson, vice president identity verification at Entrust.
“We are confident that the Seamless Travel Solution will help launch the world into a new era of travel, allowing travellers to feel safer and experience less hassle, while also enabling operational efficiency to both border agencies and the entire travel industry through digital transformation.”
Entrust stressed that the technology “follows all GDPR regulations, does not retain personally identifiable information and encrypts all data in transit and at rest for maximum user security”.
Users have the option to store their Digital Travel Credential on their personal mobile device, but this is not a requirement.