The Hindu Business Line : Online train ticket sales on fast track

THE oppressive heat seems to be driving more and more people to their personal computers to book train tickets rather than make a trip to the reservation counter.

The number of tickets booked on the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Web site (www.irctc.co.in) has shot up 70 per cent to cross the one lakh mark during March and April this year.

"We booked 1,04,167 tickets in March and 1,04,363 in April. The number of tickets booked is 70 per cent higher than February and more than double the number recorded in April last year," the IRCTC Group General Manager (IT Services), Mr Amitabh Pandey, told Business Line.

The Web site became operational in August 2002 and sold 3,343 tickets in the first month.

The IRCTC Web site has emerged as the largest in terms of online cash transactions, leaving behind several high-profile e-commerce Web sites in the country.

The company sold nearly 7.3 lakh tickets in 2003-04 and logged a sales volume of Rs 102 crore.

Mr Pandey said that IRCTC aims to simplify the process of booking a ticket on the Net. While the company has already tied up with as many as nine banks, it is in talks with mobile operators to offer the service on the cell-phone.

"It takes just five minutes to register at the site and then the passenger can begin transactions. The Web site allows the passenger to plan his itinerary and make payment through a variety of options that include credit cards and Internet banking. The service charges for a ticket are Rs 60 (for A/C coaches) and Rs 40 (for sleeper class), and tickets are delivered through courier in a day or two," Mr Pandey said.

Reliance Infocomm is already in an advanced stage of testing and is set to offer the service to its subscribers soon, a company spokesperson said.

"Reliance subscribers can log on to the Web site using the R-World platform and we are making all efforts to keep the operation simple and fast. We are in an advanced stage of testing and hope to soon announce the availability of the service," the spokesperson said.

The company delivers tickets in over 100 cities across the country. Delhi and Mumbai account for the largest share of ticket sales (40 per cent each), and Chennai and Bangalore come next.

"However, the biggest surprise is we are selling a large number of tickets in smaller towns as well," Mr Pandey said.

More Stories on : Railways | Online Marketing | Railways

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Rupee sheds 45 paise intra-day on corporate demand for dollar

Naidu's TDP routed; markets shaken

Sensex sinks 229 on political worries

Gold, silver up on weak rupee

FIIs net sellers at Rs 595 cr on Monday

Online train ticket sales on fast track