COIMBATORE: Passengers can soon purchase unreserved railway tickets, season tickets and platform tickets on their mobiles using an app. The Salem Divisional Railway is all set to launch the UTS app on April 14 , as a part of 'Operation Five Minutes' announced by the Railway Minister
Hari Shankar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager of Salem Railway Division, said that the mobile application titled "UTS" app, also called UTSONMBILE app, will be available both on Google Play Store and Apple Store and can be downloaded using internet. Transactions on this GPS based application can be made using 'R-Wallet', which is Railway's exclusive E-payment wallet that does not carry any additional charges. This R-Wallet can be topped up in any Booking Office counter or online through ICTC's website www.irctc.co.in.
This ambitious project of promoting paperless unreserved ticketing through mobile phone had been available only for Chennai suburban passengers. The facility is now being expanded to include all Southern Railway. It is expected to benefit over two million rail passengers, who account for more than 91 percent of total rail passengers annually.
Tickets can be booked from places up to five kms from a particular railway station and such booked tickets will be downloaded on to the passengers' mobiles. No printout will be needed.
There are rules however. This ticket cannot be transferred from one mobile to another in any mode including SMS. This Mobile App based tickets cannot be booked on railway premises including platforms and trains, as a facility called 'geo-fencing' has been used to prevent ticketless travellers from booking tickets at the sight of ticket checking staff.
To help people through the process and address queries on this, 24x7 help desks have been organised in all major stations of Salem Division. People can also seek online at utsonmbile.indianrail.gov.in., he added.