The Indian Railways always strives to make improvements to help passengers. It has launched on a pilot basis, a paperless, mobile ticketing system for unreserved suburban train passengers.

The Indian Railways has launched a paperless, mobile ticket booking application for the unreserved category, especially for suburban trains.

This was announced by a senior official of the ministry of the Indian Railways at a recent press meet in the city. The new application is called as UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) or ‘utsonmobile” helps travellers of suburban trains in the unreserved category to book tickets using their Smartphone.

Install UTS mobile app –

• Andoriod Mobile – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cris.utsmobile&hl=en
• Windows Mobile – http://www.windowsphone.com/en-in/store/app/uts/3e586426-65fd-48ea-9efa-9f012ffe24de
• Indian Railway Official Notification – https://www.utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in

The utsmobile service was developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) in order to eliminate the need for printing unreserved tickets. Having booked a ticket by this system, a commuter need not take a print out of the ticket and just needs to show the soft copy of the same to the TTE. This application is available on both Windows and Android platforms.

“The budget proposal was to launch a paperless ticketing system for unreserved passengers and we are implementing it today,” said the official. Besides being a green initiative to save paper (limit cutting down of trees), it also aims to save time for customers by reducing the need to queue up at ticket counters.

As per a pilot program, the system for paperless ticketing for the unreserved segment will be implemented in the 15 stations of the suburban section of Southern Railways, according to the official. He said, “We intend to extend this service to suburban sections of all metros.”

The UTS application can be downloaded from Windows Store or Google Play Store. The app gives onscreen alerts to guide passengers during the process of booking.

The passenger has to maintain a Railway wallet or ‘R- Wallet’ to make use of this application, especially to make payment. First step is registering using mobile phone app or website utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in. When you finish registration, R-wallet for you will be opened on zero-balance basis.

R-wallet will be linked to your mobile number. The R-wallets must be recharged at either at UTS counters provided at suburban stations or through the website utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in. The R-wallet is a closed wallet only meant for rail ticket bookings.

While you apply for a ticket, the system will check whether your R-wallet has sufficient funds. If there is adequate amount, the ticket charge will be deducted and your ticket will be booked. When you cancel a ticket, the amount will be topped up in your R-wallet.

“The mobile UTS has the following features. It enables quick booking, for booking tickets using routes of frequent travel. It enables normal booking for any suburban route. One can cancel tickets and there is management of passenger profile including checking of R-wallet balance,” said an official.

The UTS app can also be used to renew season tickets which will be of great use for passengers of the unreserved segment. After booking ticket, passenger will receive screen for ticket confirmation, which will contain limited information regarding the ticket.

“The UTS aims to help the low income groups as well as regular suburban travellers and tries to provide a computerized, centrally administered system of ticketing over the entire Indian Railways. For developing this amazing system, the CRIS team has won the P.M.’s award for excellence in public administration,” pointed out the railway official.