123 Kolkata: Eastern Railway (ER) has transformed purchasing tickets into a streamlined, tech-driven experience. Over the past few months since ER introduced automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) and the unreserved ticketing system (UTS) on cell phones, it has ushered in a new era of convenience, speed, and cashless transactions in the railway system.
"The ATVMs have redefined ticketing, making long queues and crowded counters a thing of the past. With 574 ATVMs strategically installed across ER's divisions, passengers now have instant access to tickets at their fingertips,"an ER official said. Between April and Dec 2024, ATVMs delivered remarkable results: 8.1 crore tickets were issued, a staggering 24% of all unreserved tickets, 13 crore passengers served (15% of total unreserved travellers), and Rs 218 crore earned (20% of the total revenue from unreserved tickets).
Sealdah leads with nearly 5 crore tickets and Rs 90 crore in its kitty. Howrah follows with 2.4 crore tickets and Rs 83 crore earnings. Then comes Asansol division with 70 lakh tickets through ATVMs, contributing 37% of tickets issued and 29% of revenue, and Malda emerging fourth with 10 lakh tickets.
"The ATVMs are available 24×7. The multilingual interface makes ticketing seamless. The contactless smartcards help in quick and cashless transactions. The eco-friendly digital receipts minimize paper usage," the ER official said.