Indian rail line to launch biometric seat purchase to improve passenger experience

A biometric identification system is being launched by Western Railway division’s Mumbai Central station and Bandra Terminus to ensure trains do not run over capacity and seats are available for all passengers, Business Insider India reports.

The system was trialed on the Pushpak Express between Mumbai and Lucknow. Deployments of biometric for passengers of Amravati Express, Jaipur Superfast Express, Karnavati Express, Gujurat Mail, Golden Temple Mail, Paschim Express, Amaravati Express, Avadh Express, and Maharashtra Sampark Kranti Express are also all planned, according to the report. Eventually the machines will also be deployed to long-distance trains.

Passengers in unreserved coaches will scan their fingerprints to receive an entry token, which will be verified by Railway Protection Force staff, making boarding processes more orderly and reducing the chances of accidents. DNA India reports pushing and bribery are common as passengers scramble to secure seats in general compartments. The system is also intended to cut down on seat reservation fraud, and identify thieves using the railway service.

Four biometric devices have been rolled out so far, and the agency plans to acquire eight more for its Ahmedabad and Mumbair divisions.

The new system comes as part of a push to improve railway travel experiences by Indian Railways. The agency’s telecom arm RailTel began a second attempt to implement facial biometrics at stations and in coaches earlier this year.

Article Topics

access management  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint authentication  |  identity verification  |  India  |  transportation