Railways to allow private participation in sale of tickets

Railways to allow private participation in sale of tickets

The new reservation centres, as per the proposal cleared by the Railway Board, would be called Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendras

New Delhi: With a view to expand the facilities for purchase of tickets, the Indian Railways have decided to allow public-private partnership in the establishment and operation of computerised Passenger Reservation System-cum-Unreserved Ticketing System terminals.

At present, only authorised travel agents are allowed to sell e-tickets while all the PRS counters across the country are operated by the Commercial Department of the Ministry. These new reservation centres, as per the proposal cleared by the Railway Board, would be called Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendras.

Sources said Director (Finance), Railway Board, has issued a circular to all zonal general managers to work out the modalities for implementing the scheme. A circular has also been issued to the Centre for Railway Information Systems to make necessary modification in the software.

However, only authorised agents providing railway ticketing services of the Indian Railways for at least five years would be able to become a part of the scheme.

“Application will be called from all authorised ticketing agents including the Railways Service Tickets Agents and Railway Tourist Agents. The applicant will need to have an office outside the railway station equipped with adequate infrastructure and mandatory clearances from the local authorities. Such premises would have to have adequate conveniences to accommodate the visits of sufficient number of customers,” an official said.

To begin with, the Railways plan to give permission to operate up to four terminals to each licensee. “The licensee will have to set up counters on the pattern and standard at par with the computerised PRS centres of the Indian Railways. However, the private player would have to engage his own staff at his own cost for running such centres. The Railways will supply, free of cost, only PRS tickets rolls,” an official said.