MADURAI: In a major move to encourage cashless transactions and digital payments, the Southern Railway has introduced QR code based payment of ticket (Quick Response) in Automated Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs). Journey and platform tickets can be purchased using QR code facility and renewal of season tickets can also be done easily.
Passengers can purchase tickets through QR code based payments using any UPI based digital payment platform. On scanning the QR code in ATVMs. the passengers can buy journey tickets for trains and season tickets can be renewed, a press release received from the Madurai Division of Southern Railway here today- on 11th February 2022- had informed. Recharge of smart cards is also facilitated through QR code and all these features in ATVMs are to encourage cashless transactions / digital payments.
The press release said that this QR code feature will help in hassle free cashless payments through ATVMs. Once the journey details are entered in the ATVM, there will be three options for payment and the options will be displayed as – Railway smart card or BHIM UPI QR code (pay by Paytm) or BHIM UPI QR code (pay by free charge). On choosing any one of the two QR code based payment option, a QR code will be generated and displayed on the ATVM screen. The displayed QR code needs to be scanned through any UPI enabled app such as Gpay, Paytm and Phonepe etc and proceed for making the payment towards the cost of ticket.
Then, a physical ticket will pop out of the ATVM machine once the payment is completed. It is not compulsory for a passenger to pre-own a ATVM smart card. Now, evenw ithout a ATVM smart card, tickets can be purchased by opting for QR based payment. (ANY QUERIES RELATED TO DIGITAL PAYMENT IN ATVMs can be redressed through RailMadad or 139 by IRCTC), the press release from Southern Railway said.
