Now, dial a train ticket

If you have a credit card, from October you can buy train tickets by just punching a few numbers from a landline or mobile phone. Srinand Jha has the details...

If you have a credit card, from October you can buy train tickets by just punching a few numbers from a landline or mobile phone.

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For availing the “Dial A Ticket” facility, all one needs to do is call up the Indian Railways Tele-help line number, 139, and punch in the appropriate train and credit card number.

Once the operation is complete, the ticket will be delivered to the customer by email, fax or courier.

“As part of our endeavour to make rail travel easier and convenient, we have proposed to make the service operational from next month,” said Nalin Singhal, Managing Director of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

An initiative under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) involving the Indian Railways and the Bharat-BPO consortium — the Railways tele-helpline service was launched in July last year with the objective of enhancing user experience by offering a wide range of value added services.

Apart from offering online ticketing facility, the help line also offers services including enquiries pertaining to arrival, departure, and schedule of trains plying between two stations, PNR and reservation status.