Palakkad Division to open more Integrated Unreserved Ticketing System counters to issue unreserved and reserved tickets
The Hindu
Originating passenger earnings of the division in October touched ₹74.38 crore, highest in the recent past: DRM
Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division Trilok Kothari on Friday said more Integrated Unreserved Ticketing System (IUTS) counters would be opened across the division soon.
Charing the 160th Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) meeting at Palakkad, Mr. Kothari said the IUTS would cater to both unreserved and reserved segments of passengers. The division would also provide more Automatic Ticket Vending Machines by December, he said.
The DRM said the originating passenger earnings of the division during October 2022 touched ₹74.38 crore and it was the highest in the recent past. The passenger revenue for October 2022 was 21.52% higher than the target for the month given by Southern Railway headquarters. The division had realised ₹70.82 revenue from passenger segment, he said adding that the surge in passenger revenue indicated a complete recovery from the COVID-19 situation.
Maintenance of passenger facilities was a thrust area of the division. E-Auctions for parking area contracts were well received and the division was looking for takers for the installation of automatic teller machines (ATMs) and running of pay-and-use toilets at stations. Auctions for running catering stalls would soon commence in the division.
Mr. Kothari said increasing the number of alarm chain pulling, stone pelting and runover incidents (average three per day in the jurisdiction of the division) were affecting safe and punctual train operations. He sought the support of DRUCC members to reach out the public to make them aware of the ill effects.
Additional DRM C.T Sakkeer Hussain, Chief Medical Superintendent V. Kalarani, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Arun Thomas Kalathikal, Assistant Commercial Manager S.T. Anand, and other senior officials were present. As many as 14 DRUC members representing trade bodies, passenger associations, industries, consumer organisations, associations of differently abled, and members nominated by the Members of Parliament attended the meeting.