Kolkata Is Ending Metro Tickets, Just Swipe Your Phone Instead!

Download the Metro Railway app, buy tickets online, flash the Quick Response (QR) code at the gate and get going. No need to carry smart cards, and definitely no need to stand in the queue.

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In the next few months, travelling in Metro is going to be a breeze with railways authorities introducing a mobile-based ticketing system for a faster commute.

The new system has already been tried out at the Metro Railway headquarters in the presence of Mohd Jamshed, member (traffic), Railway Board, and general manager M C Chauhan. According to an official, the system was at an advanced stage of development by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and is likely to become operational within the next few months.

"The railway minister wants people to spend less than five minutes at booking counters. For this, we have to reduce the number of people who physically visit booking counters. While reserved tickets could be booked with the help of a mobile app, Indian Railways also extended the facility to those purchasing unreserved tickets recently. Such systems are very appropriate for urban transportation networks like Metro Railway where many users use smartphones and know how to use apps," a senior CRIS official said.

BCCL/Representational Image

"All passengers need to do is download the app and purchase tickets. As soon as the transaction is completed, a passenger will receive a QR code. While entering the platform, the passenger needs to bring the mobile screen close to the sensor of the smart gate, just as they do with the smart cards. The same process will have to be followed while leaving the platform," Metro Railway CPRO Indrani Banerjee said.

According to a CRIS official, necessary changes will have to be made in the software that currently manages the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gates. "The system is more complex for the Metro as it is unlike other railways where space isn't a constraint. Most passengers are likely to book tickets as they enter the stations. Necessary arrangements have to be made on the premises to ensure there is no delay," he said.