Saturday 12 September, 2009

SER : RNC : Touch info at railway stations

Ranchi : Three key stations on Ranchi railway division now have better passenger amenities, thanks to a modernisation plan that has been put in place. While Ranchi station, which has already gone through a series of changes for the better, has been equipped with touchscreen passenger information kiosks, Hatia station will have two of them soon.

There are plans for Muri too, which is another important station of the division. “We recently set up four touchscreen passenger information kiosks in Ranchi station. Two for Hatia station are coming up,” said M.K. Yadav, the Ranchi additional divisional railway manager.

The kiosks provide information about availability of seats in trains and the status of wait-listed passengers. This is big help for passengers without confirmed tickets and saves them the trouble of having to stand in long queues at reservation counters for information on their tickets.

“The information kiosk showed me that my ticket had just been confirmed,” said a jubilant passenger waiting for the Delhi-bound Jharkhand Swarnajayanti Express. Also, first-time visitors to the station will no longer have to depend on others to locate waiting halls, restaurants, toilets, a VIP lounge or book stalls. For, the railways have already completed setting up information pictograms to guide passengers to the desired amenity.

All three stations of the division — Ranchi, Hatia and Muri — have been equipped with National Train Inquiry System to update passengers about the location of various trains passing through the station. The capital’s station has a few more goodies in store for passengers. In addition to four LCD screens that flash information on arrivals, departures of trains and their platforms,
there is a facilitation centre and a huge drinking water kiosk.

Apart from several other facilities, the centre will also handle ticket bookings of Ranchi-Howrah Shatabdi Express and several other trains. And lest passengers whine about “artistic relief”, there is some in store on walls in the form of giant murals in traditional tribal art.

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