General Tickets Now Available Online; Railways Offers 3% Cashback

Indian Railways has introduced an online facility for purchasing general tickets, reducing the need for passengers to stand in long queues at railway stations. Often, passengers miss their trains due to the time-consuming ticketing process. To address this, the railway department has installed Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) at major stations. However, these machines also witness significant crowds, particularly at busy stations like Secunderabad.

To further streamline the ticketing process, Indian Railways is encouraging passengers to use the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) mobile app. This app, initially launched in 2016, allows passengers to purchase general tickets via their mobile phones. In a move to increase its adoption, the railway department has now announced a 3% cashback offer for ticket purchases made through the app.

Initially limited to 26 suburban stations in the twin cities, the UTS app was expanded in July 2018 to cover all railway stations. The app facilitates the purchase of not just general tickets but also platform tickets.

For passenger convenience, the UTS app supports various digital payment modes, including R-Wallet, Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, and Internet Banking. The R-Wallet allows users to deposit up to ₹20,000, and tickets purchased through this wallet are eligible for a 3% cashback.

Railway officials have emphasized that the UTS app enables passengers to buy general tickets from their homes. Those who do not wish to download the app can also purchase tickets by scanning the UTS QR code available at railway station ticket counters.