GUWAHATI, Oct 27: Maligaon-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is expediting work on providing free Wi-Fi services to commuters and the facility was rolled out in as many as 64 train stations of this region in the month of September alone.
“We are working towards providing free Wi-Fi hotspots in all the 363 stations of the zone, except the halt stations, by the end of current financial year. Wi-Fi facility has now been provided in more than 200 stations across the NFR zone. During the month of September alone, we commissioned the facility in 64 stations,” a senior Indian Railways official told this newspaper.
Of the stations where the free Wi-Fi service was rolled out last month, 17 are located in NFR’s Tinsukia Division, 20 in Lumding Division, 11 in Rangiya Division, nine in Katihar Division, and seven stations are in Alipurduar Division.
The stations of the Tinsukia Division where the service was commissioned in September were Panitola, Makum Junction, Dhamalgaon, Lepetkata, Dikom, Chabua, Tingrai, Digboi, Lahoal, Margherita, Chaulkhowa, Khowang, Naharkatia, Dibrugarh Town, Moranhat, Tangani and Selenghat, while in the Lumding Division the stations covered were Rangapahar, Dhansiri, Daldali, Diphu, Jagiroad, Khatkhati, Bokajan, Chungajan, Naojan, Katakhal, Panchgram, Sarupathar, Barpathar, Bhilgaon, Bhanga, Badarpur, Karimganj, Nilambazar, Barlangfer and Langcholiet.
The stations covered by the service in the Rangiya Division were Changsari, Sripani, North Lakhimpur, Gogamukh, Pancharatna, Krishnai, Amjonga, Silapathar, Dhupdhara, Rangjuli and Singra, while those in Katihar Division were Bhatnaha, Arariya Court, Jhaua, Hatwar, Kanki, Dalkhola, Telta, Manihari and Araria during September.
In addition, Wi-Fi facility was also rolled out at Dalgaon, Basugaon, New Baneswar, Gumanihat, New Chengrabandha, Chengrabandha and Kalaigram stations of the Alipurduar Division.
“Passengers can now easily purchase tickets under the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) from these stations by using mobile Apps. They can also avail various facilities as well as information free of cost while being present in the railway stations,” said the officials.
There are 363 railway station in the NFR zone and of those 68 were covered with Wi-Fi services in the last fiscal.
All A-1, A, B, D class stations of under the zone's jurisdiction were covered with Wi-Fi facility during the first phase of the project.
Railway sources said the services have been widely appreciated by the commuters and the number of users has grown exponentially over last few months.
