Smart rail tickets to be launched this year : Railways Dept.

The Railways Department has decided to launch a smart-ticket system for railway passengers within the next three months, an official at the Department told Times Online.

Previously, the Railway Department had contracted with a company based in the Netherlands to print the required tickets. However, the contract will lapse in the next two months and as an alternative to the printed tickets the smart tickets are to be implemented.

The new ticket would comprise a QR code that contains the details of the passenger and the trip. These tickets could be obtained from special machines that would be set-up at  train stations.

In addition, the public could also book their tickets using a special app on their mobile phones, the Railway official noted adding that ticket collectors at rail stations would be given a special device that can read QR codes in order to determine the validity of the ticket.

However, the Railway Department will take measures to issue printed tickets in the event of a technical failure while booking their smart tickets, the official said.

(Reporting by Damith Wickramasekara)