Click, click... in the train

Soon commuters will 'Google' all the way while travelling, thanks to Rly's new project, reports Rajendra Aklekar.

Instead of watching dots in the hinterland vanish in a blur, you can now google all the way as your train speeds to its destination.

HT Image

The Railways is launching a Wi-Fi project to allow commuters connect their laptops and surf the Net on selected trains.

Premier trains like the Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Janashatabdi will be the first ones to go wireless. Besides this, a few Mumbai stations like CST, Churchgate, Dadar and Mumbai Central will also get Wi-Fi connectivity.

Confirming that work on the project had started, Western Railway’s (WR) divisional railway manager Satya Prakash said, "The finer details are being worked out."

Railtel Corporation of India Ltd, a public sector company under the Ministry of Railways, working on making the Railways more tech-savvy for larger profits, had successfully carried out tests on a few long-distance trains, railway sources told .

The Railways is also working on providing Wi-Fi connectivity at 500 stations across the country for laptop users. This will enable commuters to work on their laptops and palmtops within 300 feet of designated stations.

The Railway Board will soon shortlist the trains on which Internet services would be made available and stations that will go Wi-Fi.

A senior Railtel official said the pilot project was being given top priority, considering the revenue it would yield in the long run.

“A project to start cyber cafés at railway stations has already been kicked off with the inauguration of the first cybercafé at Ahmedabad station on November 26,” a railway official said.

Email Rajendra Aklekar: rajendra.aklekar@hindustantimes.com