GUWAHATI, May 5 � With an aim to upgrade its ticketing mechanism, the NF Railway is making a switch over to a new Unreserved Ticketing System, a move that would add to passenger convenience.
Compared to the earlier manual mode, the new centrally computerised system would enable any passenger to purchase tickets to any destination spending less time. The other advantage to the railways would be in keeping accounts of the scores of tickets that customers buy, which in the previous set up suffered from human errors.
Under the new system people can buy tickets round the clock, and not just a few hours before the train�s scheduled departure. In fact, with the new system in place passengers seeking unreserved seats can buy tickets three days in advance.
In the month of April, nine stations under Katihar division, six under Lumding division, five under Tinsukia division, four under Rangiya division and one under Alipurduar division saw the commissioning of the new UT System.
The move finally removes the gap in services to unreserved ticket holding passengers, many of which actually travel due to emergencies after failing to get reservations.
According to NF Railway CPRO, S Hajong, there are 399 stations in the zone and all of them would have the new facility by this year-end. In the last financial year 50 were commissioned in the zone, and those have met with favourable response from the passengers. So far 75 stations in the NF Railway zone have adopted the new system in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, the NF Railway is also expanding its Passenger Reservation system in the region it operates. At present the total number has reached 120, of which 64 are at railhead locations and 56 at non-railhead places. Some of these are under the defence authorities in remote places and a few under India Post centres.
