CHENNAI: Do you sleep during train journeys and, on occasions, wake up after the train has crossed your destination?
Don’t fret, as you can now use a facility to get a wake-up call on your mobile from a call centre of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), half-an-hour before the scheduled arrival at your station.
All you need to do is dial 139 and select the option for ‘Destination Alert’ on the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.
The passenger-friendly initiative, announced in the Rail Budget by Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, was rolled out on Monday.
After you enter the PNR number, it will be verified and a request will be set up. You will receive a call saying ‘your station is arriving’ 30 minutes before the destination.The facility can also be exercised by talking to the customer service agent on 139 or on SMS. The syntax for the sms is ALERT
The other system that is already in operation is the mobile based alarm alerts. “Suppose a person is going to Madurai and he wants to meet a friend at Tiruchy railway station. He can use the alarm facility for a reminder,” an IRCTC official said.
While the actual facility would be free of cost, `3 would be charged if it is activated through sms, an IRCTC official said.
Passengers availing it through phone would be charged the usual call rates, which are `1.20 for 180 seconds from landline and `1.20 for 60 seconds from mobile phone.