Indian Railways is developing a super app for all services
What's the story
Indian Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced the development of a super app, aimed at consolidating various railway-related services. The announcement was made during the News18 India Chaupal event in New Delhi. Although specific features of this upcoming app were not detailed by Vaishnaw, it is expected to provide facilities such as ticket booking, PNR status checking, and train tracking among others.
User benefits
Super app to enhance passenger experience
Vaishnaw emphasized that the super app is designed with the passenger's needs in mind. "From the passenger's perspective, whatever services one may need will be available on the super app," he stated. This initiative is part of Indian Railways's broader efforts to improve its services and infrastructure under the NDA government, over the past decade.
Progress report
Indian Railways' infrastructure and safety improvements
The minister also highlighted significant infrastructure enhancements, noting that over 5,300km of railway tracks were laid last year alone. This distance is equivalent to Switzerland's entire rail network. On the issue of railway safety, Vaishnaw revealed a reduction in rail accidents from 171 per year a decade ago to around 40 per year currently. He assured that efforts are underway to further decrease this number through structural changes and new training methods.
Safety measures
Kavach ATP system to enhance railway safety
Vaishnaw announced the installation of Kavach, an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, in 10,000 railway coaches. This measure is expected to significantly improve safety by preventing collisions. The minister also introduced Amrit Bharat trains, designed to offer affordable travel for ordinary Indians with journeys of up to 1,000km costing approximately ₹400-₹450.
Global appeal
International interest in India's Vande Bharat trains
Vaishnaw also touched upon the growing international interest in India's Vande Bharat trains. He revealed that inquiries have been received from countries like Chile. However, he clarified that exports would only commence with the fourth and fifth versions of Vande Bharat. This indicates a potential expansion of Indian Railways' services beyond domestic borders in the future.