Indian Railways to Launch ‘Super App’ Offering Comprehensive Services from Ticket Booking to Food Orders
New Delhi, 6th November 2024: Indian Railways is set to launch a ‘super app’ by the end of this year, aimed at enhancing the services available to passengers. Developed by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in collaboration with the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the app will offer a wide range of facilities including advance ticket booking, platform ticket purchases, train tracking, and food ordering, all in one platform.
The new app will integrate various existing systems of Indian Railways, reducing the need for passengers to navigate multiple apps and websites for different services. Currently, passengers use separate apps like IRCTC Rail Connect for ticket booking and IRCTC eCatering for ordering food. The ‘super app’ will streamline these processes, allowing users to access all services through a single interface.
The IRCTC Rail Connect app, with over 100 million downloads, is currently the most popular platform for ticket booking. However, the new app will consolidate its functionality along with other services, making it more convenient for users. An official from Indian Railways has also indicated that the corporation is exploring revenue-generating opportunities through the new app.
This initiative comes as part of Indian Railways’ broader effort to improve technical infrastructure and provide a more user-friendly experience for passengers. The integration work between the super app and IRCTC’s systems is ongoing, and once completed, passengers will no longer need to rely on multiple platforms for rail-related services.
Additionally, Indian Railways has recently revised its advance reservation rules. As of 1st November 2024, passengers can now book tickets only up to 60 days in advance, down from the previous 120 days. This change aims to reduce ticket fraud, though it will not affect bookings made prior to the new rules coming into effect.
