IRCTC Introduces Card Payments To Vendors On Trains. Details Here

Now, you will be able to pay vendors through your debit card while traveling via Indian Railways. The IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has introduced billing through Point of Sale or PoS handheld machines in trains. IRCTC, the online ticketing arm of Indian Railways, has said the move is "to check overcharging by vendors". Payments through PoS devices, said IRCTC, is being introduced in trains in phases. "This will help not only making passengers aware of relevant information but also in improving the passenger satisfaction," IRCTC said in a statement.

There have been some complaints of passengers regarding overcharging by the vendors in trains, IRCTC added.

Currently, payment through the Point of Sale mode is available in train No. 2627-28 of the SBC-NDLS Karnataka Express on a pilot basis, IRCTC noted. In next phase, according to IRCTC, 100 PoS machines will be commissioned on 26 trains.

There are 50 rakes of the identified 26 trains. Each rake of the train will be provided with 2 PoS machines each to start with which will be progressively increased as per the usage and response from passengers. IRCTC said it is also deploying its officials onboard on these trains for the purpose of monitoring the catering services.

Introduction of PoS-based payments in trains, IRCTC said, is a step towards passenger awareness "for menu & tariff of meal and catering items being sold onboard in trains".

IRCTC has been continuously taking passenger-friendly steps so as to ensure smooth catering services as well as disseminate information critical for passenger travelling in trains, the statement dated March 21 added.