The Go India Smart Card, which had supposedly been introduced on a pilot basis back in 2011, has once again been launched on pilot basis on two sectors – New Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah. Passengers can use this card to purchase both reserved and unreserved tickets at select Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) & Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and at Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) on these two sectors.
Initially, passengers need to pay Rs 70 to get the card, of which Rs 50 would be treated as a fee and Rs 20 will be made available as balance on the card. After this, the card can be recharged for Rs 20 or in multiple of Rs 50 up to Rs 5000. Note that the maximum permissible limit on the card is Rs 10,000.
While the card has lifetime validity, the Ministry of Railways informs that it’ll be temporarily deactivated in case of 6 months of inactivity from the date of the last transaction. Users can reactivate the card by paying Rs 50!
Consumer complaints portal
Indian Railways has also launched a consumer complaint and suggestion portal and mobile app to make it easier to track the status of complaints registered by them. Users can file their complaints or provide suggestions on the website (www.coms.indianrailways.gov.in), through the Android app or they can also SMS their complaints on +91-9717630982. A Windows Phone app will also be launched, though it’s not clear when exactly.
During last week’s Railway Budget presentation, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had also announced that a pan-India consumer helpline will be introduced from March 1, 2015. Passengers can call 138 for any queries. For security complaints, passengers can call 182 (toll-free number).
