Indian Railways on July 23 said QR Code tickets will be generated to ensure contactless ticket checking.
Passengers booking tickets on both online and offline modes will be able to avail this facility. As a result, there won't be any contact between passengers and railway employees.
Passengers purchasing a ticket will receive an SMS containing the QR code which ticket checking officials can scan using handheld equipment.
Even platform tickets can be bought via digital modes and 85 percent of the tickets are being booked through electronic platforms.
Wholeheartedly embracing the Digital India theme, Indian Railways said it has taken a host of measures to ensure complete digitisation of its operations.
Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav stated that the IRCTC ticket booking website is being redesigned and will be rolled out in August.
"Passengers will have much better experience when the new portal is launched," he said.
Announcing a slew of measures taken by the Railways aimed at incorporating the Digital India template in its functioning, Yadav mentioned SATSANG software will be used for creating a new zero-based timetable.
Elaborating on the initiative, he said: " All freight and passenger operations will be tracked by satellite by December 2021 after 6,000 additional locomotives are fitted. All fixed assets of Railways have been mapped and maintenance of all software is being tracked digitally. The E-Drishti dashboard sends key information to executive officers. Public can also access some data via the Rail Drishti portal. With the Electronic Drawing Approval System (E-DAS), we will be able to fast track project implementation. Through Smart Yards and Smart coaches, we will be able to monitor wagons and coaches. There will be RFID tags for wagon identification. By December 2021, entire freight operations will be tracked through satellite."
Yadav said Indian Railways will use GeM portal to buy maximum products.
He also added that there are no plans to introduce paperless ticketing right now as some citizens are not comfortable using electronic modes for purchasing tickets.
Yadav also informed that Braithwaite and Company has been allowed to export rolling stock.
“It was a loss making company and a lot of work was done in the last two years and it has started making profit. The Railway Board has allowed the company to export rolling stock,” he said.
In order to boost revenue and loading, a 25-ton axle load will be intoduced on the iron-ore carrying routes and gradual extension to other routes will be implemented, Yadav said.
COVID Coaches
Yadav said care coaches are to be used only when state government facilities have been exhausted.
"There has been no demand for any new Shramik Special Trains from any state after July 9. We don't feel there is any necessity to run any more trains at this time. Whenever the situation stabilises or there are long waiting lists, we will introduce additional trains," he said.
