Soon you won't have to wait in long queues for a train ticket. You can book it while filling petrol in your car and if you are an SBI cardholder - even at an ATM.
The railways have a New Year gift waiting for you. Staring early 2007 the Indian railways will have kiosks at petrol pumps across the country. So all you have to do is drive in, check the ticket availability, pay up and get your ticket.
IRCTC MD Dr P K Goel says, “Our strategy in selling up the tickets here is to reach to the customers not the customer should come to us. "
The railways have tied up with HPCL and BPCL.
So every HP/BP petrol pump will have IT-enabled service stations that will be manned by the railways.
What’s more – you can make the payment by cash/debit or credit card.
That’s not all. It’s a virtual bonanza for State Bank of India card holders. All SBI ATM's will now additionally be equipped to provide railway tickets. This service like the ATM's will be available 24/7.
While the railways will have to incur an initial cost they are hoping that goodwill generated will result in increased patronage. Also with low cost airline bubble showing sings of bursting efforts are on to ensure that the middle class returns to the railways.
The railways have a New Year gift waiting for you. Staring early 2007 the Indian railways will have kiosks at petrol pumps across the country. So all you have to do is drive in, check the ticket availability, pay up and get your ticket.
IRCTC MD Dr P K Goel says, “Our strategy in selling up the tickets here is to reach to the customers not the customer should come to us. "
The railways have tied up with HPCL and BPCL.
So every HP/BP petrol pump will have IT-enabled service stations that will be manned by the railways.
What’s more – you can make the payment by cash/debit or credit card.
That’s not all. It’s a virtual bonanza for State Bank of India card holders. All SBI ATM's will now additionally be equipped to provide railway tickets. This service like the ATM's will be available 24/7.
While the railways will have to incur an initial cost they are hoping that goodwill generated will result in increased patronage. Also with low cost airline bubble showing sings of bursting efforts are on to ensure that the middle class returns to the railways.