Jammu Railway Division installs automatic ticket vending machines

Jammu, Feb 8: The newly formed Jammu Division of Northern Railway has taken a significant step towards enhancing passenger amenities and strengthening the ticket distribution system with the appointment of Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBAs) and the installation of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) at various railway stations.

ìAdvertisements were recently issued by the Jammu Railway Division, under the guidance of Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Uchit Singhal, for the appointment of Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBAs) at 35 identified railway stations in the Jammu Division, including 16 railway stations in Jammu and Kashmir, 9 in Himachal Pradesh, and 10 in Punjab. By the last date for submission of applications, February 6, more than 70 applications were received,î said Raghvender Singh, Publicity Relations Inspector, Jammu Railway Division.

He shared that the appointments aimed to ensure the smooth functioning of Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) counters at small and medium-sized stations (NSG-5 and NSG-6 categories).

ìThe STBA scheme prioritises local residents to assist passengers with ticket distribution at stations in their respective areas. The main objective of this initiative is to relieve passengers from long queues for ticket booking and to provide employment opportunities to local youth,î Singh said.

At the small and medium-sized stations (NSG-5 and NSG-6 categories), unreserved tickets are currently issued by the Station Master, which causes difficulties for Station Masters in managing their duties and train operations.

Commenting on the initiative to appoint station ticket booking agents, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Uchit Singhal, said, ìThe railways are committed to making their services digital and accessible. The appointment of STBAs and the installation of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) at railway stations will eliminate the need for passengers to stand in long queues for tickets.î

ìThe appointment of Station Ticket Booking Agents will ease the workload of Station Masters. It will also bring greater transparency to their work during train operations, allowing them to perform their train operation duties more efficiently. Passengers will be able to obtain unreserved tickets easily, saving them valuable time,î he said.

ìAutomatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) have also been installed under the digital ticketing system at five railway stations in the Jammu Railway Division ñ Dinanagar, Mukerian, Gurdaspur, Dasuya, and Kathua ñ for the convenience of passengers,î Singhal said.