WR develops 2 apps to nab fake tickets, ensure quick redressal of complaints

Western Railway has developed two apps for ticket-checking staff to combat fake tickets and streamline passenger complaint resolution in long-distance trains.

MUMBAI: To curb the use of fake tickets and ensure smoother redressal of problems faced by passengers in long-distance trains, engineers of Western Railway (WR) have developed two internal apps for the ticket-checking staff. Currently at the beta testing stage, the first app can scan the UTS number, mobile phone number and other details on a ticket to match it with the details in the railways’ system.

WR develops 2 apps to nab fake tickets, ensure quick redressal of complaints

There have been cases in the past of commuters creating fake QR codes for railway stations, which they then scan to keep generating fake tickets. The problem is more during peak hours when TCs avoid asking commuters to open the UTS app and tickets. In such circumstances, commuters show a picture of the ticket which may or may not be fake.

“The ticket checking staffers have been asked to download the app on their mobile phones,” said a WR official. “It is being done in batches, and we are also providing training. This app will help identify ticketless travellers who use fake mobile tickets to travel, which is usually difficult to identify under normal circumstances.”

The second app will ensure that complaints raised by passengers are resolved quicker, as the ticket supervisor of every long-distance train will have the phone numbers of staffers attending to different complaints. At present, a passenger must complain on the 139 helpline or on the Rail Madad app, which takes time to resolve.

Every long-distance train has a chief ticket inspector or train captain in charge of passengers’ well-being. With the new internal app, problems such as unclean toilets, water leakage, soiled or delayed linen, and food and AC issues can be addressed faster. The train captain will be the single point of contact.

Important contact numbers will be fed into the handheld device through this mobile app. According to the new orders from the Railway Board, the train captain is required to log the names and contact numbers of all train staffers into the app as soon as the journey begins.

“By doing this, the train captain as well as the rail control room will have access to the staff details,” explained a WR official. “Even other TTEs boarding at later stations in different coaches will have this information. In case of any complaint, the relevant staff will be immediately informed rather than waiting for it to come via the control room.”

Passengers traditionally contact the TTE for complaints. In recent years, services like the Rail Madad app and 139 have also been available. However, often the passengers are asked for details like PNR, contact numbers and the train’s location, which may lead to mistakes. This can be prevented through the new app, which has already been launched in premium trains like Vande Bharat, Rajdhani and Shatabdi. Sources said that this was also a good measure to keep a check on contractual staff employed for cleaning, catering and providing linen inside long-distance trains.