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Mamuni Das

New Delhi , March 15

RAILWAY tickets can soon be booked using short messaging service.

Buoyed by the response to its earlier service of ticket bookings through Internet, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) - which manages Railways' Internet booking service platform - plans to launch SMS-based ticket booking service. Currently, it is possible to enquire ticket availability using text messages, but not possible to book tickets. Moreover, one can also book tickets using voice-based services through cell phone - that is the user is required to speak in order to book a ticket.

IRCTC is in talks with various mobile operators for the service. "We are offering the platform to all operators. At present, we are testing the service and plan to launch it soon," said a top Railway Ministry official, pointing out that Reliance Infocomm offers a Java-based, Graphical User Interface booking to its cell users, whereas most other cellular operators that include Airtel and Hutch offer voice-based services.

With this service in place, the mobile-phone user needs to send a message in a particular format to a specified number, after which he/she would get a reply that would carry details regarding the ticket availability status. Following this, the user will have to send the debit card number from which the amount will be debited. "Thus the customer would be required to send at least two messages though the final details are still being worked out," added the official.

Asked about the revenue sharing arrangement, the official said that as on date, IRCTC would not charge the mobile operators for offering this service. "The users will be charged the usual Rs 40 and Rs 60 for sleeper/second class and AC tickets, respectively - which is what they pay for ticket delivery while booking through the Internet."

Between August 2002 and February 2005, IRCTC has booked about 20.17 lakh tickets. The value of the business during the period, that is total revenues from tickets and ticketing charges, is Rs 276.52 crore, added the official. About 55 per cent of the tickets booked are from the sleeper/second class segment.

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