AUTOMATION - THE SMART TICKETING OPTION

The Automatic Ticket Vending Machine was introduced at 18 stations on Southern Railway and inaugurated with maximum visibility and publicity through newspapers and mediabytheHon'bleUnionMinisterofStateforRailwayson25-03-2008. While the Minister urged the commuting public to be a part of the turn around of Railways, he also touched upon the salient features of the technology which is as convenient as touch to travel.

The facility is yet another ticketing channel made available to the commuting public. The explosive growth in passenger traffic being added to the suburban sector has only contributed to the crowding of the counters, serpentine queue length, exhausting wait in the queue, missing the intended train and reaching late at the desired destination.

In order to mitigate the issue, for easy hassle free journey this Railway has introduced a passenger friendly ticket vending system. Automatic Ticket Vending Machine, is a networked micro processor built in ticket vending machine using thermal printing technology for faster and convenient disbursal of ticket. The facility is prepaid smart card based with a six months validity from the time of last recharge and made available in easy denomination of a top-up facility in multiples of Rs.50/-. All that has to be done is to buy a prepaid smart card for Rs. 100/- with a refundable deposit of Rs.50/- and get an added 5% extra value on purchase of the card. Once the card is surrendered the balance amount is yours again. Unlike the season ticket which mandates the holder to produce his or her identity as support document, the smart card can be used by any one including the holder in his family or among friends and relatives. Unlike a mobile SIM card where talk value is a fraction of overall card value the passengers get 100% travel value and get bonus 5% over and above.

Due to universality of the ATVMs being used on Indian Railways, these Smart Cards can be used on the Mumbai Suburban also.
The ATVMs will go a great way in reducing queues in suburban stations. It is cashless, convenient and the service is available round the clock. Besides, these ATVMs will function even when there is power failure or link failure since it has power backup and thin-client facility. A proficient user can get ticket within five seconds.

In accordance with the direction of the General Manager, a special drive was initiated by the Railway from 15.07.2008 to popularize the sale of smart card. That apart, it is proposed to go in for innovative publicity campaign in coordination with major ad spenders like textile wholesalers to offer smart cards instead of traditional discounts. The sale of smart cards is likely to touch the 25,000 cards mark by the turn of August 2008. Presently there are 37 stations on Southern Railway where 73 ATVMs have been installed. As a result, the average sale of smart cards has increased from 81 per day prior to 15.07.2008 to almost 400 cards per day thereafter. The earnings have accordingly increased from Rs.9.65 lakhs to Rs.33.31 lakhs taking into account the sale of cards and recharges. The total earnings out of sale of smart cards and recharges from March 2008 to July 2008 is Rs.54.58 lakhs.

Today one can see in stations a queue length of 15 people or so in front of a counter and all of a sudden enters a person who fishes out a smart looking object and heads to the colourful kiosk placed alongside the ticket counter. After a series of touches on a plastic luminescent screen which takes all of a few seconds he dips his hand into a slot, picks up his ticket and walks off to the train that is about to pull out. The rest are still standing in the queue looking longingly at this magic machine that is at once a solution to all their ticketing problems. Then it strikes them : A smart idea & all you need is a "SMART CARD".