RailEnquiry

This is one service that will be used by all.

A team from IIT Kanpur and the Indian Railways have developed a real-time train information service, where a person can know the exact location of a train by sending an sms to a number.  According to railway ministry officials, the user has to type the train number and sms it to 09415139139 or 0966139139 to get the information.

The service will also be available on laptops via an interactive platform, so that there is no need for telephonic enquiry.

Currently, the service is available for 36 pairs of trains (both up and down) like Duronto, Rajdhani and Shatabdi. Within the next 18 months, all trains are expected to be covered by the service. The Railways have earmarked Rs121 crore for the project, and plans to install a Rs 50,000 signal receiver on each train that will transmit its location.

A railway official has said that the centre for interpreting the signals and dispelling information to the subscribers will be based in New Delhi. He also said that the trial run for the pilot project is complete and by the end of 2013, hopefully all mail and express trains will be covered by it.

The Railways have obtained clearance from India Space Research operation(ISRO) to operate the pilot system through satellite, and have asked permission for using satellite for other trains as well. CRIS, the technology arm of Railways, will sign an MoU with IIT-Kanpur shortly to execute the project.

The Railway Ministry is looking at enhancing traveler experience and have been talking of introducing several things~ like broadband-based internet and multimedia facilities.

The other popular mobile service of similar nature is the immensely popular mindicator for Mobond, which gives all information on Mumbai’s local and suburban trains and state-run buses, apart from movie-running information and auto fares.