Soon, buy rail tickets in Mumbai using debit and credit cards

Depending on a positive response, the Central Railway will extend the initiative to other suburban railway stations

Rail commuters will soon be able to buy tickets using their debit and credit cards from the automatic ticket vending machines (ATVM). The point of sale (POS) terminals will be installed on ATVMs.

The Central Railway has not set any deadline as by when the terminals will be installed. (HT FILE)

The CR has not set any deadline as by when the terminals will be installed.

The Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) is testing the terminals on the ATVMs at its headquarters in the city. The Central Railway will be given the machines on a trial period, after they are assessed. The machines will be installed on two-three ATVMs at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on a pilot basis. Depending on a positive response, the CR will extend the initiative to other suburban railway stations.

“The internal testing of the machines is going on. We are seeing different dimensions involved with the POS terminals, and the possible difficulties which are likely to occur. We will submit a detail report to our Delhi headquarters and later demonstrate functioning of the device before the railways,” said Uday Bobhate, general manager of CRIS.

However, the terminals will not be installed on all ATVMs as banks charge a fee for POS machines, said a senior CR official.

The CR recently acquired 318 more red-silver ATVMs, which have a different design.