In a further push to digitalize the ticketing system, Kolkata Metro has introduced UPI payment based ticketing system in all stations of Green Line and Automatic Smart card Recharge Machine (ASCRM) at stations of Blue Line.
More Details:
After Sealdah, the UPI Payment Based Ticketing System has been introduced in rest of the seven stations of Green Line 1 i.e. from Salt Lake Sector V to Phoolbagan stations, Green Line-2 i.e. from Howrah Maidan to New Esplanade stations and Automatic Smart Card Recharge Machines (ASCRM) at stations of Blue Line.
Green Line-1 and 2:
- All the ticket booking counters at all the stations of Green Line 1 i.e. from Sealdah to Salt Lake Sector V are now enabled with UPI Payment Based Ticketing System. As a result, commuters won’t have to tender the exact fare in currency notes and coins at these ticket counters, and same with Green Line 2.
- UPI Payment Based Ticketing System is also introduced in ASCRM in Howrah Maidan and Howrah stations of Green Line-2.
- It is to be noted that this alternative UPI Payment Based ticketing system was introduced first in Green Line 1 on 07.05.2024 at Sealdah Metro station. Metro Railway authorities with the help of State Bank of India and Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) have introduced this Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Based Ticketing System.
In order to avail this facility, commuters will have to tell the destination station name and scan the QR Code displayed on the Dual Display Board at the ticket counters and make the payment with the help of their Smartphones. After receiving the payment, QR Code Based Paper Ticket will be generated and commuters will be able to travel with that ticket. Commuters will also be able to recharge their Smart Cards with the help of this system.
Blue Line:
- This introduction of the new ticketing system in Kolkata Metro has been a hit among commuters.
- As all ASCRM machines of Blue Line now have this facility so more and more commuters are purchasing tokens or recharging their Smart Cards from these machines without any hassle.
- For example, if a commuter wants to travel to Dum Dum he has to type the first letter of the station i.e. D only on the screen then an auto-pop-up will come on the screen showing all the station’s name starting with D.
- After that, he/she needs to select the station name on the screen and then the payment page will appear.
- On the payment page, the option of UPI Payment will be displayed and then after selecting the UPI Payment option required payment can be made scanning the QR code with the help of Smartphone.
Seeing the huge response of Metro users, authorities are contemplating extending this alternative ticketing facility to Purple Line and Orange Line for the benefit of the commuters soon. Necessary arrangements for implementing this facility in these Corridors are being made.
Source: Kolkata Metro – Press Release | Images Credit: Kolkata Metro
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