The railway budget might not have presented a rosy picture for the State, which had pinned high hopes on clearance of some long-pending projects, but Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has made an announcement that could cheer net-savvy passengers.
The railways have announced its resolve to make several A, A1 and B category stations wi-fi enabled, giving net users seamless connectivity in railway stations. In Andhra Pradesh, there are two A1 category stations (Vijayawada and Tirupati), 18 A category stations, including Rajahmundry, Eluru, Anakapalle and Anantapur, and 20 B category stations like Tenali, Adoni, Bapatla and Gudivada.
The stations are categorised on the basis of their annual passenger earnings – A1 category station generating Rs. 60 crore and above, A category Rs. 8 to Rs. 60 crore and B category stations Rs. 4 to Rs.8 crore.
The railway authorities said there were many advantages with wi-fi connectivity in railway stations. For instance, waiting for a train would not be boring for passengers, as they could activate internet on their mobiles, laptops or tablets and watch movies, play games online and download applications.
Passengers can get information pertaining to train position, expected arrival time and other relevant data through internet on their mobiles and other equipment. The other advantage is it can be cost-effective for users, when compared to conventional internet packages offered by telecommunication companies, they explained.
