Lalu Express races on e-track

Investment of 'several thousand crore rupees' announced.

The Information Technology (IT) initiatives of Indian Railways received a major boost today with the government announcing in Railway Budget 2007-08 that it will increase its investment in IT projects to "several thousand crore rupees" in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.

Union Railways Minister Lalu Prasad said although the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) would be the nodal point for all its IT activities, Indian IT companies were welcome to participate under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Business Standard had reported in January that the ministry was planning to allocate Rs 5,000 crore for its IT-related operations in the Eleventh Plan.

Over the next three years, the ministry plans to develop a commercial portal for yield management. Freight Operation Information System (FOIS) modules for rolling stock maintenance, examination and crew management are likely to be integrated by 2010. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages will be implemented in workshops, production units and selected zonal railways.

The minister has also announced the development of a common website integrating the 50 different Railways websites with additional facilities like e-payment and e-tendering.

To ease the burden on its existing call centres, from June to September 2007, train enquiry call centres will begin functioning in all four regions of the country. Passengers can dial 139 from anywhere in the country to obtain information about train arrivals and departure and seat availability. The centres will also offer SMS alert facility.

Further, Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) in reserved coaches will be provided hand-held computers to allot vacant berths to the wait-listed passengers.

As a pilot project, TTEs aboard Shatabdi trains running between New Delhi-Amritsar, New Delhi-Dehradun and New Delhi-Ajmer and the Golden Temple Express will be given the devices.

Over the next two years, there will be 8,000 computerised Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) counters in the country, while 6,000 automatic ticket vending machines will be installed in major cities where tickets can be obtained using smart cards or currency coins as well.

The coupon ticketing system introduced for suburban passengers in Mumbai will be extended to Chennai and Kolkata as well. The Monthly Season Ticket renewal has been made free of cost.

Adoption of modern signalling systems is also on the cards. The minister has announced the completion of track circuiting at "more than 96 per cent places" on A, B and C routes, multi-aspect colour light signalling system on A and C routes and other Special Railway Safety Fund upgradation projects at 1,036 stations.

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LOGGING ON TO THE FUTURE

6,000 automatic ticket vending machines to be installed in major cities

Tickets at the press of a button by using smart cards or currency coins

Monthly Season Ticket through Internet service to be free

Common website to integrate the 50 different websites of the Railways with e-payment and e-tendering

Train-enquiry call centres in all four regions with SMS alerts; the call centres will also provide ticket, hotel and taxi booking services

Hand-held computers for train ticket examiners (TTEs) in reserved coaches to check seat availability and allot berths to wait-listed passengers

E-tickets issued through the 'e-seva' facilities of state governments, post-offices, petrol pumps and ATMs

Central Railway to undertake a pilot project of issuing daily and season tickets through multipurpose smart cards

Modern signalling systems to be developed; Automatic Block Signalling System for junctions with heavy traffic

Commercial portal to attract traffic for filling up vacant seats

Freight Operation Information System (FOIS) modules to be integrated, ERP packages for zonal railways and production units

Common website to integrate 50 different websites of Railways with e-payment and e-tendering