New device automates railway seat allocation

“As soon as a berth/seat is vacant it gets allocated to RAC and partially confirmed waitlisted passengers automatically without any intervention by TTEs,” said a senior railway official.
A TTE verifies tickets using hand-held terminals | Express
A TTE verifies tickets using hand-held terminals | Express

CHENNAI: With the deployment of hand-held terminals (HHT), an electronic device in place of a reservation chart for ticket checking, allocation of vacant berths to passengers during train travel and transfer of seats to the next remote location station for current booking have been made an automated process.

The railway board allotted 857 HHTs to six divisions of the Southern Railway - Chennai (246), Madurai (98), Salem (124), Tiruchy (101), Thiruvananthapuram (148) and Palakkad (140). Of which, 800 have been put into service in 185 trains, said a statement from the railways on Monday.

“As soon as a berth/seat is vacant it gets allocated to RAC and partially confirmed waitlisted passengers automatically without any intervention by TTEs,” said a senior railway official. The HHTs have been linked with the server of reservation counters and IRCTC portal, which enable the train superintendent to transfer the vacant berths to the next remote location station for current booking.

For example, Nagpur is a remote location station for Chennai - New Delhi Tamil Nadu Express. The train leaves Chennai at 10 pm and reaches Nagpur at 1.50 pm the next day. At present, the final chart for the train is prepared at 9.30 pm and vacant berths are transferred to Nagpur station, which will be available for current booking till 1.20 pm on the day of departure.

“With HHT, the seats/berths not occupied by reserved passengers from Chennai are transferred to Nagpur for current booking. Thus, when a New Delhi-bound passenger fails to turn up in Chennai, the ticket will be made available for booking from Nagpur onwards online. But so far, such berths were allocated by TTEs manually,” explained an officer. TTEs also have the option to register complaints on water, power, deficient coach fittings and non-supply of bed rolls.

A Chidambaram of New Delhi said, “Passengers used to run behind TTE seeking confirmation for RAC tickets. Now, we get confirmed ticket text alerts within two to three hours.”

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