Railway passengers will get an additional facility for booking unreserved tickets and buying platform tickets as the railway administration will open automatic ticket vending machines soon.
The division has planned to install 50 automatic ticket vending machines in 27 stations during the Passenger and Customer Facilitation Fortnight beginning on Tuesday.
The machines would act as additional ticket booking counters to reduce the time taken by passengers to buy unreserved tickets and platform tickets, Divisional Railway Manager Sunil Kumar Garg said.
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Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Mr. Garg said that Madurai would get four ATVMs.
Senior Divisional Railway Manager S.T. Ramalingam said that passengers need to buy a smart card (like an ATM card) from the railway booking office. The card came with a certain value with which the passengers could book the tickets on the ATVM. “When the balance is exhausted, it can be recharged at the booking office again,” he said.
Passengers could buy platform tickets, and unreserved tickets for second class in mail and express trains.
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Passengers could top up their cards in the multiples of Rs. 100 for a maximum of Rs. 5,000, for which they would get a commission of five per cent.
Renovation of bridges
The renovation of Pamban railway bridge and the railway bridge across the Tamirabarani in Tirunelveli are expected to be completed by June end, the DRM said.
“The steel girders in the bridge in Tirunelveli are being replaced with concrete girders. This will help remove speed restriction on the bridge,” Additional Divisional Railway Manager R.V.B. Babu said.