The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Now, you can use credit card to book train tickets

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 18, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Now, you can use credit card to book train tickets

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, FEB. 17. Train passengers now have the option of using a credit card for advance reservation at Mysore City Railway station.

Usha Mathur, Divisional Manager, South Western Railway, inaugurated this facility here on Thursday. Credit and debit cards will be accepted at the counter for which a service charge of Rs. 30 will be levied on each ticket. The system provides for automatic electronic transfer of cash into the respective accounts in case of cancellation. No service charge will be levied for cancellation.

Ms. Mathur said it has been the endeavour of Mysore Division to improve passenger services and the introduction of payment through credit cards is a step in that direction.

The Railways will soon introduce the facility to buy open ticket in advance to prevent crowding near the counters. The system will initially be introduced in Mysore and Bangalore. The Mysore Division has proposed to introduce computerised reservation system at Arsikere and Kadur.

Ms. Mathur told presspersons here that the window sales of tickets have gone up by over 30 per cent in the division following the recent crackdown on ticketless travelling.

On Mysore Division's performance this year, Ms. Mathur said the division had registered impressive growth and had surpassed the target for the financial year in January 2005. The passenger earnings were Rs. 53 crores as on January 2005 and the freight earnings were Rs. 135 crores and the figures are bound to go up by the end of the year. Passenger earnings for the previous financial year were Rs. 53.53 crores and freight earnings for 2003-04 were Rs. 80.66 crores, Ms. Mathur said.

The Mysore Division achieved 100 per cent increase in freight earnings with its existing staff and low staff ratio for every kilometre length of track, according to Ms. Mathur.

She said freight originating from Mysore Division in 1995-96 was 0.5 million tonnes but had increased to 3.2 million tone in 2004-05.

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