Patna: Indian Railways has taken another step to encourage digital ticket booking by announcing a three percent discount on general (unreserved) ticket bookings made through its RailOne mobile application. The facility will begin from January 14 and will remain available until July 14. Railway officials believe this move will help passengers save money while also reducing crowding at ticket counters, especially during peak travel hours at busy railway stations.
The discount will be applicable only when passengers use digital payment options available on the RailOne app. These include UPI, debit cards, credit cards and net banking. However, payments made through the app’s R-Wallet will not be included in this scheme. The railway administration explained that R-Wallet users already receive a three percent cashback, which means they continue to enjoy a similar benefit through a different mode of payment.
RailOne is being promoted as an all-in-one mobile platform for railway passengers. Apart from booking reserved and unreserved tickets, the app allows users to buy platform tickets, check live train running status, view PNR details, find coach positions, order food during journeys, register complaints, send suggestions and track parcels. Shiv Shankar Jha, a member of the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUC) of the Samastipur Railway Division, said the initiative would be both economical for passengers and helpful in strengthening Indian Railways’ Digital India efforts.
Passengers who travel frequently have welcomed the decision. Tanveer Alam, a businessman from Shahpur Panchayat in Majhaul, said he often travels to cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Lucknow and Surat for business. He added that booking general tickets through the RailOne app with a discount would save time and money, and would be especially useful for thousands of regular train travellers across the country.
