SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 21: An Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) would be installed at three railway stations of Jharkhand soon.
For reducing the harassment of passengers from the long queues at ticket counters, the Dhanbad Rail Division of East Central Railway Zone (ECR) is going to install ATVM at Dhanbad, Koderma, and Daltonganj railway stations of the division.
A senior railway officer said as an ATM releases cash, ATVM would similarly release general class tickets in one touch. With the restoration of this facility rather than joining in long queues at counters, the passenger can take a general ticket from ATVM at the main gate.
Senior public relations officer of Dhanbad rail Division PK Mishra on Saturday said that machines (ATVM) have already arrived at divisional headquarters from ECR headquarters and the process for installation at the selected railway station is in progress.
Official sources said so far 10 ATVMs have arrived in which four would be installed at Dhanbad railway station and three each at Koderma and Daltonganj. If all goes as per plan, ATVMs would start delivering tickets at selected stations in a week.
As per the official record per day average of 24,000 to 26,000 passengers arrive at Dhanbad railway station. Though at present several trains are cancelled due to Corona pandemic sale of general tickets has come down, but with the improvement of the situation, the sale would increase.
Passengers have hailed the ATVM installation decision of ECR and Dhanbad rail division management. “Now we hope the ATVM facility would bail out us from harassment of long queue at the ticket counter of Dhanbad railway station. Especially at the time of Coalfield and Black Dimond Express ( Dhanbad- Howrah up and down daily trains) we missed several times due to long queues at ticket counters,” said Ajay Mukhopadhyay, a resident of Hirapur.
