Chennai Railway Division launches QR code-enabled payment system

The QR code-enabled payment will decongest the counters. It is in addition to the Unreserved Ticketing System application and automatic ticket vending machines. Volunteers have been posted at major stations to promote the system among senior citizens

On working days, one can see long queues of commuters waiting impatiently to buy tickets at the railway station counters, even as the suburban trains rush by at peak hours.

At important stations, such as the Moore Market Complex, Tambaram, Saidapet, Palavanthangal, Guindy, Mambalam, Beach, Egmore, Pattabhiram, Avadi, Tiruvallur, Velachery and Thiruvanmiyur, Southern Railway has opened several counters to issue tickets at rush hours. But delays occur because customers are unable to provide the exact fare or the railway workers manning the counters do not have the money in small denominations. This means arguments between the workers and the commuters.

Individualised QR codes

To help decongest the counters, Southern Railway launched the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) application a few years ago, besides individualised QR codes and automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) at almost all stations.

As part of the drive to increase digital payments, the Chennai Division has come up with one more option: QR code-enabled payment at all counters.

A. Elumalai, Public Relations Officer of the Chennai Division, says the QR code-enabled payments aligns with the Central government’s Digital India campaign. It will help to avoid cash payments for buying suburban as well as long-distance train tickets.

The QR code payment, named the Tuesday-Digital Day campaign, was launched on October 22 at all stations in the Chennai Division. The division transports 15 lakh passengers on an average every day, and the digital payment method will help to further ease the congestion at the counters. To help the commuters make seamless payment, it has posted volunteers at all major stations to promote the system among senior citizens.

3% bonus

Railway officials have also planned to promote the use of UTS among the local and long-distance passengers by creating more awareness. The UTS application for booking suburban, seasonal, platform, and unreserved tickets has become a hit. Southern Railway offers a 3% bonus for every recharge. The application is available on the Android and iOS platforms.

A senior railway official says that from April to September this financial year, 38 crore passengers travelled by booking 12.94 crore digital tickets, as against 40 crore passengers who had booked 13 crore tickets in the same period last year. He says the aim of the QR code payment system is to increase digital payments.

Southern Railway has installed 128 ATVMs at 61 stations across the Chennai Division, including the Moore Market Complex, Chengalpattu, Tambaram, Egmore, Beach, Tiruvallur, and Korukkupet. It has appointed 86 facilitators, who are mostly retired employees. It plans to post 100 more facilitators to issue tickets through ATVMs. However, facilitators are not available at Chintadripet, Pattabhiram, Fort, and Park. These stations would also get facilitators soon, according to officials.

Southern Railway has also introduced the QR code payment system at parking lots, catering stalls, and lounges. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) of the Tamil Nadu government, the public sector bus operator in the city, has taken steps to issue tickets with electronic machines. These point-of-sales (PoS) machines return after a few years to replace the printed tickets with the electronically printed tickets.

7,800 machines purchased

MTC Chairman and Managing Director Alby John says electronic ticketing machines have been introduced for the MTC and the State Express Transport Corporation. The MTC has signed an agreement with the State Bank of India and purchased 7,800 machines which were on-boarded recently. The MTC has also created options for ticket purchases through the UPI system, but it is yet to take off.

Mr. John says the MTC plans to bring in the National Common Mobility Card (NCBC) for booking common tickets for Metro Rail as well as buses, and the QR code ticketing.

The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is working on a common ticketing system by integrating the ticketing systems of the MTC, Metro Rail, and Southern Railway. The CUMTA will soon launch an integrated ticketing system for the different modes of public transport, called the Journey Planner-cum-Integrated Ticketing, in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It will provide the fastest and most economical mode of reaching the last-mile destination.

The CUMTA plans to introduce the system by the end of this year or January next year.

Published - October 22, 2024 10:50 pm IST