Aiming to provide better services to the passengers with the aid of advanced technology, the South Central Railway here on Monday launched Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) and SMS-based passenger complaint system.
“South Central Railway (SCR) is the first railway zone in the country where ATVM will be issuing General second class tickets. In Chennai and Mumbai, only suburban tickets are issued by the ATVMs. The machines are aimed at reducing long queues at the railway booking centres at busy stations,” SCR General Manager M.S. Jayanth told reporters here on Monday.
The self-operated ATVMs have state-of-art technology with touch screen, thermal printers and are available round the clock, he said.
The fare is to be paid through a smart card that will cost Rs. 80 initially, and it can be recharged in multiples of Rs. 50.
Some teething problems are likely to occur as the software is new and to resolve such problems a 24-hour helpline has been set up, Jayanth said adding 19 machines would start functioning (from Monday) at three stations — Secunderabad, Begumpet and Hitech City.
