Chennai: Many miss jam-packed Antyodaya express on election eve, want mobile ticketing

CHENNAI: The huge rush at Tambaram station for Nagercoil Antyodaya Express on the eve of the LS election has exposed a major chink in the armour of railways as far as passenger amenities are concerned.


The unreserved train is preferred by middle and lower middle class

passengers

and on election eve, almost everyone header for home in central and southern districts of the state wanted to take it.

However, many failed to get tickets due to long queues at ticket booking counters. ‘UTS on mobile’ app for unreserved ticketing system couldn’t be of any help.

This is because the Indian Railways mobile-ticketing system does not allow passengers to book m-tickets for Antyodaya Express trains. Ticket fare for these trains is 15% more than regular fare.

“The app is not designed for revised fare. Railway has already written to the Railway Board twice to bring in this feature,” said a senior official who is aware of passenger requests for the same. It would not require a major change, just a few codes would have to be rewritten, the official said. The express was so full of passengers, many of whom were precariously standing on footboard.

It is an extremely popular train, said A Giri, a railway passenger activist based in

Thanjavur

. Even on regular days it is highly patronised, he added.

Mobile ticketing

was introduced by railways as part of their ‘mission five minutes’, where one can avoid queues and book ticket before coming to the station.