HYDERABAD: Mounting tension with the train's departure time nearing, sweating it out at the railway ticket counters to get tickets in the 11th hour will now be a thing of the past.

South Central Railway is now proposing to issue unreserved tickets through automated teller machines (ATM) and the Ministry of Railways recently signed a memorandum of understanding with State Bank of India and its subsidiaries to this effect. As per the MoU, passengers can now obtain unreserved tickets through SBI ATM centres three days prior to the date of journey using their credit or debit cards and no extra service charges will be levied on the passengers for availing this option.

At present reserved e-tickets can be bought with credit card from websites of PSU banks wherein the ticket is delivered physically. There is also the option of i-ticket where the person purchasing it online can take a printout of the ticket.

According to SCR officials, 60 such ATM centres would be set up in the State, including Kacheguda, Secunderabad and Nampally stations besides six other Multi Model Transit System stations. All details pertaining to availability of seats, charge and train numbers will also be displayed.

They said one such ATM had already been installed at the Begumpet railway station. The software for dispensing the rail tickets is almost ready.

Double advantage

"It will be a double advantage. ATM centres will be provided at all the major railway stations in the State and passengers need not stand in a queue for getting their tickets. We are trying to make it easy for the passengers," SCR General Manager D.N. Mathur explained.

Rest of the ATM centres offering the tickets will be established by March 2007 in a phased manner, he added.

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