Indian Railways’ super-app – the one stop mobile application for streamlining all passenger services such as ticket booking and et-all - is planning to add-on station specific porter booking facilities – including loading and unloading of luggage. This apart, live update of ticket booking status and movement of ticket positions – for example from wait-listed to confirmed – will be reflected real time on the app. A host of other services - that will generate additional revenues to the Railways - is also being planned to be a part of the app development process.

In fact, the Railways is working on the issue of convenience fees too - during online ticket bookings - so that IRCTC’s revenues are protected.

Internal testing of the mobile application show there has been positive feedback on select services like ticket booking and some “other basic ones” like PNR status check; which has encouraged the Railways to explore adding on further services such as real time update of ticketing status, among others.

A December -end deadline has been reportedly set for beta testing of the app.

The Issue of Convenience Fee

A senior official told businessline, meetings are being held with IRCTC and CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) to ensure “smooth user interface” and ease of transactions through the app.

At these meetings, the issue of convenience fee was also discussed. Typically, IRCTC charges a fee for every ticket booking including via third party apps such as a MakeMyTrip or Amazon. “IRCTC will have the right to charge convenience fees and they will have control of the bookings as is the case now, as per the initial discussions,” officials in the know said.

For instance, the company top brass during an investor call said, Q1 FY25 (April - June) convenience fee earnings were Rs 224 crore.

This apart, it also charges transaction fees on different payment methods used.

Reportedly, some Ministry officials are of the opinion that CRIS too should have some revenue guarantee for developing the app.

“So there could be some additional platform fee charges on the app for different add-on services and that can be shared with CRIS. These are still under discussion,” the official said.

In 2021, the Centre had issued orders whereby IRCTC was to share 50 per cent of its convenience fees with the Ministry. However, the plan backfired with IRCTC shares tanking. Faced with criticism of unfair treatment of minority shareholders, the Centre was subsequently forced to roll-back this order.

Other Add- Ons

Some other issues currently under discussion include intergrating porter services – but that would mean registering porters on a data base and monitoring their working hours on a station-wise basis.

So far, the umbrella platform will bring together a variety of railway passenger services in one place – that include purchase of platform passes, booking tickets, and track train timetables, among other features. The app will also integrate taxi-booking services, the officials said.

Currently, railway passengers use IRCTC Rail Connect for ticketing, IRCTC eCatering Food on Track for meal orders, Rail Madad for feedback, UTS for unreserved tickets, and the National Train Enquiry System for real-time train information, and so on. All of these are separate platforms.

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