Starting from April 1st every year, the new financial year heralds changes in various rules related to financial transactions. This year, the Indian Railways has introduced a significant change regarding the payment of general tickets, aiming to alleviate the travel hassles for millions across the country.
Effective April 1, 2024, railway passengers can now purchase general train tickets using digital QR codes, facilitating transactions through UPI (Unified Payments Interface). This service has been initiated at numerous railway stations nationwide.
In a bid to reduce congestion at railway stations and advance the Digital India initiative, Indian Railways has further announced the availability of online ticketing services at unreserved ticket counters, starting from the same date.
Under this new service, passengers can utilize QR code payments at the ticket counters, enabling transactions through popular UPI platforms such as Paytm, Google Pay, and PhonePe.
This move towards promoting digital payments by Indian Railways is expected to alleviate the challenges faced by passengers purchasing general tickets at conventional ticket counters. With the convenience of digital UPI payments, passengers will no longer need to deal with loose change, while railway staff will save time previously spent reconciling cash transactions. Moreover, digital payments promise faster ticketing processes and enhanced transparency, contributing to a smoother travel experience for all.
