Rail Analysis India March 2018 Digital Magazine | Page 180
180 | Article
New Technologies
Improving Passenger Services
Image Credit: wikipedia
Details of major initiatives taken by Ministry of Railways to
improve the facilities for Rail Passengers are as under:-
1. Online ticket booking facility through Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website
thereby obviating the need to stand in queues at
reservation counters.
2. Reserved and unreserved ticket booking facility through
mobile phones.
3. Provision of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs)
at railway stations for dispensation of tickets.
4. Provision of various cashless modes of payment like
net banking, e-wallets, credit/debit cards through Point
of Sale (POS)s machines, through Unified Payment
Interface (UPI), etc.
with the reservation requisitions received from persons
with disability, senior citizens, ladies, former Members
of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies,
accredited press correspondents and freedom fighters.
6. Automatic preparation of first reservation charts at least 4
hours before scheduled departure of train and thereafter
booking of available accommodation through internet as
well as through PRS counters till preparation of second
reservation charts.
7. Intimation to passengers through SMS in case of change
in passengers’ reservation status from waiting list/RAC to
confirmed, cancellation of trains, late running of train in
identified trains, etc.
8. Cancellation of computerised Passenger Reservation
System (PRS) counter tickets through IRCTC website or
through 139.
9. Automatic refund to e-ticket holders in case of cancellation
of trains.
Image Credit: wikipedia
5. Earmarking of separate counters at various Computerised
Passenger Reservation System (PRS) centres for dealing
10. Introduction of Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme
‘VIKALP’ to provide confirmed accommodation to
waitlisted passengers in alternate train to ensure optimal
utilisation of available accommodation.
11. Increase in number of berths earmarked as RAC to
accommodate more passengers.
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