Indian Railways goes digital

Adapting digital payment methodologies is the need of the hour and the Government is incentivising people to make digital transactions.

Indian railways has also been on the forefront of offering such services on smart phones and feature phones too. One can book a rail ticket by just sending an SMS.

We all know that railway tickets can be booked at the reservation counters and also on the Indian railways online ticket booking portal IRCTC.

However not many know that a railway ticket can be booked by just sendind SMS to 139. Yes, one can book a railway ticket through our mobile phones anywhere and anytime WITHOUT using Internet connection.

Train passengers will be able to use their mobile phones to book tickets through a simple text-messaging-based-SMS facility or a menu-based dialling service -USSD service.

This is a simple process and involves two steps, sending the travel information (date of journey, number of passengers, train number) and getting a transaction id and paying for the ticket.

Firstly an individual has to Register himself at www.irctc.co.in with his mobile number.

It should be noted that the Mobile number should be registered with bank account. And the Same mobile number must be registered with IRCTC account.

To book a railway ticket through SMS a 4-digit MMID code needed for payment process.

And this MMID can be generated by banks or simply one can generate MMID by mobile banking registration on ATMs.

Once armed with an IRCTC account, MMID and a registered mobile number, you are ready to book your ticketOne has to send an SMS: BOOK andnumber of passengers to 139.

The limit of no.of passengers is 06. Then one will receive a message which has the Transaction id, Ticket Amount, Service Charges, Total Amount, Seat status. And For Payment one has to send an SMS- PAY IMPS IRCTC (UserID) to 139.

The amount will be automatically deducted fromthe banbk account and an SMS will be sent about the booking details of the railway ticket.

Government is encouraging people to move towards less-cash economy. And every ministry and department is coming up with various methods to provide services digitally.

Booking railway ticket on feature phone via SMS not only will save time and energy but will also enhance the digital payments process to much more higher levels.