TrainChain

TrainChain addresses a fundamental problem in public transportation: ticket fraud and inflexible transfer systems. Traditional tickets can be copied, resold fraudulently, or lost forever. TrainChain solves this by:

🔐 Immutable Ownership: Each ticket is minted as an NFT, providing provable, unchangeable ownership on the Arbitrum blockchain. Users have complete control over their tickets in their MetaMask wallet.

🔄 Flexible Transfer System: Unlike traditional tickets, TrainChain allows users to securely transfer tickets to other wallets before departure, enabling gifting, resale, and group travel management—all while maintaining transfer restrictions that prevent fraud.

💎 Dynamic Pricing with Built-in Discounts: The smart contract automatically applies tiered discounts:

• Return trips: 10% discount

• Weekly passes: 20% discount

• Monthly passes: 25% discount

🌍 Real-World Integration: Train schedules and route data are fetched from backend services while ticket ownership remains on-chain—the perfect balance of blockchain security and real-time flexibility.

📱 Seamless User Experience: The React/TypeScript frontend provides an intuitive interface where users can select routes, choose ticket types, and mint NFTs in seconds, with real-time balance checking and network detection.

Day 1-2: Foundation & Smart Contract Design

• Architected a gas-efficient, upgradeable ERC721 smart contract with packed structs

• Implemented route-based pricing with configurable base fares

• Added comprehensive security features including reentrancy protection and transfer restrictions

• Deployed to Arbitrum Sepolia testnet

Day 3-4: Frontend Development

• Built responsive React/TypeScript interface with Next.js

• Integrated MetaMask SDK for seamless wallet connection

• Implemented real-time schedule fetching and route selection

• Created intuitive ticket type selector with dynamic price calculations

Day 5-6: Blockchain Integration & Testing

• Connected frontend to deployed contract using ethers.js

• Implemented price synchronization between frontend and contract (critical fix that eliminated "Insufficient payment" errors)

• Added balance checking and network validation

• Successfully minted first tickets from the dApp

Day 7: Refinement & Polish

• Fixed gas estimation issues for smooth user experience

• Implemented ticket transfer functionality

• Optimized mobile responsiveness

• Verified contract on Arbiscan for complete transparency

TrainChain is currently in its prototype phase, having been developed entirely during this hackathon. The project demonstrates a clear path to monetization through:

1. Transaction Fees: A small percentage (e.g., 1%) on ticket sales
2. Premium Features: Advanced analytics for transport operators, bulk minting APIs
3. Enterprise Licensing: White-label solutions for rail operators worldwide

We are actively seeking:

• Seed funding to complete security audits

• Pilot partnerships with regional rail operators

• Grant support from blockchain foundations focused on real-world adoption

With minimal funding, TrainChain can expand to support multiple transport networks, integrate with existing booking systems, and become the standard for NFT-based public transit ticketing.