The Southern Railway will soon be appointing facilitators for issuing tickets through automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) installed in several railway stations across the city. The Chennai division of Southern Railway had invited for applications from retired railway employees and general public to issue suburban train tickets through the ATVMs.
The Chennai division had recently installed new ATVMs replacing the old and damaged ones, which were installed several years ago.
A senior railway official of Chennai division said the Southern railway in addition will also have ticket counters in railway stations issues tickets through ATVMs and digital tickets through mobile application of Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS). The ATVMs at railway stations are installed to help the commuters not having to wait in long queues during peak hours. However to purchase tickets through the ATVMs smart cards are needed which many passengers do not purchase. So, retired railway officials were posted for issuing tickets through ATVMs. With several ATVMs becoming defunct the retired railway officials were let go.
The Chennai division having installed 100 new ATVMs in 47 railway stations including Thirumayilai, Chintadripet, Beach, Tambaram, Avadi and Tiruvallur, had proposed to post the facilitators for issuing the tickets for which it had invited applications from retired railway staff and also members of the public.
The applications received for appointment of facilitators had closed in the first week of May. Once the Lok Sabha results are announced and the Model Code of Conduct is lifted, facilitators would be posted, the railway official added.
