Patna : The railways have decided to introduce yet another new device, hand held terminal (HHT), on running trains to provide more amenities to passengers during journey. This system is being introduced as a pilot project of railways on trial basis.

According to a Railway Board official, the HHT system will be made available to travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) of all Rajdhani Express trains running on different routes across the country. Use of HHT devices by TTEs has been envisioned as a means to ease out work pressure on them. It is likely to help them in allotment of berths as well as know the current position of each reserved bogie. The HHT will display on its screen number of passengers occupying their berths and the number of vacant berths in the bogies, he said.

The Board official admitted that the new HHT system would help maintain full transparency in allotment of berths by TTEs on running trains. Besides, TTEs need not carry sheaves of paper related to reservation charts. As the present practice is, these TTEs have to refer to reservation charts several times while allotting berths or checking tickets of passengers. Under the new HHT system, TTEs will have to switch on the new device to know the latest position of each bogie, he said.

According to general manger in-charge of the project Seema Kumar, the new system will benefit passengers in two ways. Firstly, they could easily know the position of berths, occupied or vacant, from TTEs on duty at any station. Secondly, things would become easier for passengers seeking refunds against tickets that they had booked, but could not travel, she said.

According to ECR CPRO Dilip Kumar, the new device will give much relief to ticket checking staff on their duty. At present, it is being used on Shatabdi Express trains on trial basis. TTEs have so far found it more convenient while checking tickets on running trains. Besides, they have got rid of carrying multiple paper charts.

About one million passengers are travelling every day at the country level. As such, tons of papers are being used for the printouts of reservation charts. The new system will thus save wastage of paper as well as railway revenue, he said.

That apart, the CRIS (Centre for Railway Information System) has been working on a new system to provide train tickets on cellphones to needy passengers in emergency. In case of reserved tickets, passengers will just have to show an SMS to the TTE instead of a paper ticket. These SMS will be sent to passengers from CRIS server, the CPRO said, adding the project is still under development stage.