Railway minister Mamata Banerjee provided the much needed technology edge to the world’s fourth largest railways network that has its beginnings in pre-British India.
Ms Banerjee announced a slew of technology measures to beef up the railway network as part of her Budget proposals.
She announced plans to open a Centre of Excellence in software at Darjeeling to be controlled by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). “A number of measures will be taken to usher in latest technology,” she said.
Based on outcome of a pilot project, consumers can access reliable information on train running thanks to latest technology induction in offing. The knowhow for this, christened as satellite imaging for rail navigation (SIMRAN), has jointly been developed by IIT-Kanpur and research, design and standards organisation (RDSO).
The IT services body, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), and analysts in the information technology (IT) sector hailed the technology driven initiatives announced by Ms Banerjee.
“Indian Railways has always been first adopters of technologies for the benefit of country’s citizens. IT would play a big role in coming future also as it is one of the largest rail networks in world. Technologies would also lead to better management of cumbersome works and more safety for passengers and secure cargo movement,” Nasscom president Som Mittal told the Financial Chronicle.
Ms Banerjee also announced e-ticketing portal to be launched shortly by CRIS. Booking of tickets through this portal will be cheaper with a charge of `10 for AC classes and `5 for others.
She has also talked about e-procurement and e-auction to ensure transparency and economy, issuing paperless railway receipts, to deploy global positioning system-based “fog safe” device, extend Web-based system for allotment of iron ore rakes to coal traffic, all-India security help-line on a single number and provision of Internet access on Howrah-Rajdhani Express as a pilot project.