RailEnquiry

booking e-tickets, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is mulling to launch a rolling deposit scheme (RDS) to enable people to reserve train berths with money deposited in advance with the corporation. “The e-ticket booking facility will allow a user to deposit money in advance with the IRCTC. The amount will be added to the payment options already available for booking e-tickets on the official website,” an IRCTC official said. 

“Under this scheme money will be deducted from the IRCTC account and not from any bank as is the current practise,” he added.

Notably, under the schemata passengers would not be charged additional payment gateway charges through RDS booking option. They would just have to pay a one-time registration of Rs. 200-250 for the service and a minimum deposit of around Rs. 1,500-2,000.

Using the normal top-up facilities one can recharge the RDS amount balance, in addition to normal money transfer from the bank accounts to the IRCTC accounts. The account could also be managed online, the official added.

As per IRCTC officials, the RDS system would be more efficient and advantageous as compared to transactions carried out through payment gateways of banks. “It will certainly save time as the transaction is internal without interference of other payment gateways,” he added.

The new system, once implemented, would assume significance in the wake of the number of complaints of failed transaction on IRCTC website.

As per government data, over 120 lakh transactions performed between April 2011 and June 2012 have failed, even after money transfer. It may be added that nearly 4.5 lakh train tickets are booked daily through IRCTC website.