The Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM), a touch screen kiosk which issues unreserved tickets and platform tickets to passengers with a smart card, has started functioning at the Ernakulam Junction Railway station on Monday. The facility was inaugurated by P Rajeev MP.
Two ATVMs each were installed at five major stations in the state- Kottayam, Aluva, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram Central and Ernakulam Junction. “Chennai division was the pioneer in Southern Railway to install the ATVM. After evaluating the performance of the machines and their acceptance among passengers, the machines will be extended to other stations. All major stations in the Thiruvananthapuram division will be covered by ATVM step by step,” P L Ashok Kumar, area manager, Southern Railway told ‘Express’.
The passenger has to buy a smart card worth `100 of which, `50 is deposit fee, to avail of the facility. The remaining amount plus `two can be used for buying the ticket. Four tickets can be taken at a time and a card can be recharged at any station. The card can be recharged in multiples of 100 and one card can be recharged for up to `5,000. One card is valid for a year and it needs to be recharged from the railway ticket counter to extend validity.
While cancelling the card, the passenger will receive the deposit amount after deducting `10. The card needs to be placed on the particular surface of the ATVM, where it will be optically read. On the touch screen, the passenger can select the station from the map. They can choose and type the preferred class for the journey and move on to the procedures of issuing ticket, including whether the ticket is for adults or kids. Once the process is over, they can get the ticket printed. The journey can be started from the station where the machine is installed.
“At all stations two facilitators, are deployed for a machine who will guide the passengers. They can also issue tickets using their smart cards to those who do not have cards of their own. They have to pay the amount to these facilitators,” said Ashok Kumar
One kiosk unit costs `2 and a half lakh. The users can access the facility in Malayalam, English and Hindi.