Train travel will never be the same again after News Corp closes the struggling 192,000 circulation mX newspaper as commuters increasingly prefer to stare at mobile phones.

The free newspaper handed out to commuters at train stations across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney during the evening rush hour will publish its last issue on June 12.

“The decision is a reflection of the changing reading habits of commuters who now turn to their mobile phones and tablets on their way to and from work,” News Corp says in a statement.

“News will continue to invest in our extensive suite of print and digital products, which are purchased and read by millions of Australians every day.”

[Related: Newspapers in flux]

News Corp chief executive Julian Clarke wrote in an email to staff that after thorough view of mX’s commercial prospects it was clear it had to close.

“mX has since its inception served a young commuter audience well with its fresh and innovative style. Nevertheless that audience’s swift shift to mobile information and entertainment has made this decision inevitable," he says.

A ‘cheeky, funny, witty and informative’ tabloid with a circulation of 192,000, it has littered rail carriages since 2001 and focused on ‘news, entertainment, sport and WTF/weird snippets’ in an ‘irreverent and fun style’.

Circulation has dropped 21 per cent since March 2012 and in Melbourne it was down 18 percent.

Axing the title comes only two months after a major redesign and staff redundancies and soon after the publisher bought six new multimillion-dollar Ferag mailroom systems in the three cities.

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