The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Train information now at touch-screen terminals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Train information now at touch-screen terminals

Anil Kumar Sastry

Bangalore Division of SWR will set up 22 such terminals initially

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Division of South Western Railway will set up touch screen terminals at important railway stations to provide information at the touch of the screen.

A number of channels are available for passengers to gather information relating to the Railways, including the website, http://www.indianrail.gov.in, the railway call centre and inquiry counters at stations. However, these facilities were felt inadequate to cater to the increasing number of passengers and the Railways decided to introduce the touch screen terminals.

Initially, 22 such terminals will be installed at important stations, including seven at the Bangalore City Railway Station. The other locations include Bangalore Cantonment, Krishnarajapuram, Yeshwanthpur, Tumkur, Yelahanka, Hindupur, Sri Satya Sai Prasanti Nilayam, Maddur, Mandya, Hosur, Dharmapuri Junction, Kengeri, Ramanagaram, Channapatna, Malleswaram, Bangalore East, Whitefield, Bangarpet and Kuppam, according to Divisional Railway Manager Mahesh Mangal.

One such machine is undergoing trial at his office in the city.

Unlike the railway website where information is not available in the local language, the touch screen terminals have been designed to provide information in local languages. The terminals to be installed in Karnataka will provide information in Kannada, English and Hindi.

Features on the website will be available on these terminals connected to the main server.

Features such as spot your train, PNR status, coach position, timetable, availability of reservation, trains between important stations, tourist information and facilities at the particular railway station are available on these terminals.

The spot your train feature not only informs you the exact location where the train is running or stationed but also exhibits the same with the help of a route-map. The section on “coach position” informs you the composition of coaches of a particular train and the number of different categories of coaches. Besides providing information on trains, the terminal informs the user about the important tourist destinations in the particular city or town, and details about ATM centres, eateries, ticket counters and the like.

Additional Divisional Railway Manager Deepak Chhabra said the terminal had been designed for easy operation even by those who were not technology-savvy.

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