Now Pay Using BHIM UPI App At Railway Ticket Counters!

Indian railways has announced some interesting, user-friendly updates in the last 48 hours, which have been designed and conceptualized for making passengers even more comfortable and cozy.

Here are the briefs:

Use BHIM UPI App To Pay At Reservation Counters!

Usage of e-tickets is at an all time high, as 70% of all tickets are not booked via IRCTC’s website or app.

However, for the remaining 30% tickets which are booked at the reservation counters, only 2-3% are cashless. Despite having credit and debit card swipe machines at the counters, passengers often forget their cards, and the payment is cash.

Not anymore.

Indian Railways has now launched a program, wherein passengers at the reservation counter can simply pay using BHIM App, for which they will need their mobile phones.

This will immensely benefit around 5 lakh passengers, who book their tickets daily at the reservation counters. Soon, BharatQR code would be also installed at the counters, for even more flexibility.

AC Class Passengers To Get New Khaadi Bedsheets

In a brilliant move, Indian Railways is now planning to provide spanking khaadi bedsheets, pillow covers and khaadi towels for AC Class passengers.

As of now, normal bedsheets are provided, and several passengers are apprehensive about the cleanliness of the same.

As per reports, Indian Rail will has partnered with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for procuring cotton-khaadi based bed kit, which passengers can even take home at a payment of Rs 250 per bed kit.

The idea was mooted by Railways Minister Goyal, and implementation would start by December end.

Coolies To Get A Makeover!

Besides, Indian railways has declared that porters, who carry luggages at railway stations, called as coolies, would now get a makeover.

To start with, the Colonial-era red uniform would be discarded, and a new shirt-trouser based uniform would be introduced.

Besides, they would be provided with soft-skills, so that they transform into facilitators, rather than mere porters.

A senior Railways official said,

“Since porters are the first to interact with rail passengers, they should be able to guide them well. They will be dressed well and polished in their behavior. This will not only improve their status but also develop better relation with passengers who often get into altercation with them,”

Former rail minister Suresh Prabhu has already named porters as “sahayak” (helpers in Hindi); and now, they would be given soft-skills training and provided with trolleys to manage the luggages of passengers.

And, lastly, Indian Railways has released images of the new Swarn Rajdhani Express, which will run between major state capitals.

You can see the images of the new coaches here.