As smart cards are increasingly becoming an important scheme of financial transactions of general public, the Ministry of Railways has also tuned in to the consumer transaction mode by launching the Go-India Smart Card. Introduced as a pilot project, this value proposition would cover 11 stations of New Delhi — Mumbai and New Delhi — Kolkata sections spread over six zonal railways.
On Northern Railway, New Delhi has been identified as one of the centres under this pilot for the Go-India smart card project. Under this project, two counters, one for Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) and one for PRS (Passenger Reservation System) have been made operational towards Ajmeri Gate side at New Delhi and a separate counter for issue of Go-India smart card has been opened. The passenger can purchase UTS ticket through Go-India smart card from the nominated UTS counter and can also purchase PRS Ticket from Go-India PRS counter installed adjacent to PRS current reservation counter towards Ajmeri Gate side.
Go-India Smart Card will be used for Indian Railway application, that is, Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), Passenger Reservation System (PRS), Retiring Room (RR) counters and existing Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs). Go-India smart card will be a separate card from the existing ATVM smart card. The smart card can be used across UTS, PRS, RR and existing ATVM of Indian Railway but existing ATVM smart cards can be used only across ATVMs of that region. Go-India smart card akin to ATVM can be purchased by paying a security amount of Rs 50 with the first minimum recharge of Rs 20. Both Go-India smart card and ATVM cards can be recharged in the multiple of Rs 50 but maximum recharge amount is Rs 10,000 for Go-India smart cards as against the maximum recharge amount of Rs 5000 for ATVM card.
The Go-India smart card is interoperable across various applications. As UTS thin clients can work in disconnected mode for three days, issuance of duplicate card will be allowed only after three days, that is, three days excluding the day to mark card for duplicate. Validity of Go-India smart card is life-time or unlimited, but if no transaction is done within six months on the card will be temporarily deactivated which can be activated again by paying Rs 50 as activation charge.
At the time of issuance or recharge of Go-India smart card, an actual amount will be put as a top-up on the card and discount will be given on face value of UTS tickets instead of existing bonus logic used for ATVM smart card.
Currently, passengers are allowed to take non-concessional journey tickets, platform tickets and renew non-concessional season tickets through ATVM smart cards. However, there is no bonus advantage given on renewal of season tickets and journey tickets in non-sub-urban section beyond 150 kms through ATVM kiosks. On Go-India smart card at ATVMs/UTS counters, instead of giving bonus advantage, 5 per cent discount will be given on ticket face value.
On Go-India smart card, no concession benefit is available on PRS ticket, booking of RR, renewal of season ticket and non-suburban journey ticket beyond 150 kms. Purchase of platform tickets, BPT tickets, miscellaneous tickets and money receipts will not be allowed through Go-India smart card. In case of PRS/RR tickets, there is no bonus or discount advantage given at the time of booking and during booking or issuance of the ticket, ticket fare will be directly debited from the Go-India smart card.
Security deposit and balance refund can be taken back at any time during the validity of Go-India smart card while it can be refunded upto one month after expiry of validity of ATVM smart card. No refund will be given nor duplicate card will be issued in case of loss or theft or mutilated card on both the smart cards. Refund on unused or partially used Smart Card will be done on deduction of Rs 15 as clerkage costs.
The railway reserves the right to modify or withdraw any facility currently allowed on both the smart cards. Tuning to the lifestyle changes of public, the Go-India smart card would afford rail passengers’ advantages like avoiding problems of coin change and save valuable passenger time.