From June, a mega app to answer all your rail-related queries

New Delhi: Come June, when all your train travel-related queries will be answered through one mega application, likely to be named HindRail, which incorporates in it most of the existing railways' apps.

The Indian Railways is developing the new app to work as a full-fledged inquiry system providing information on arrivals, departures, delays, cancellations, platform number, running status and berth availability.

Besides, it will also offer booking of taxis, porter services, retiring rooms, hotels, tour packages, e-catering and other travel-related needs.

The Railways will offer all these services on a revenue- sharing model with the service providers.

Thus, the app will serve as a revenue-earning platform for the public transporter and is slated to have a business potential Rs 100 crore every year.

The Railways often finds itself flooded with complaints from passengers about not getting reliable information on train running status, especially when they run late.

Mohd Jamshed, Railway Board member (traffic), acknowledges that there are problems in disseminating accurate information on delays. But, he says, the new app will address all these issues.

"The new app will be launched in June and it will not only give you information, you can also track trains through it," he said.

Currently, there are several apps operated by the Indian Railways which provide various kinds of services. These include the CMS App for complaint management system.

The National Train Enquiry System (NTES) app provides inquiry facility. There are apps for booking reserved and unreserved tickets. There is another app managed by the IRCTC for the e-catering services.

All these will be integrated in the proposed app.

Asked about the possible name for app, Jamshed said, "We have to give a suitable name for it but it has not been decided as yet."