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New Delhi : Automatic ticket vending machines installed.
In a maiden initiative, the Northern Railway has decided to introduce smart cards for buying platform and other second class journey tickets from at least 30 railway stations in the national capital region.Automatic ticket vending machines (ATVM) have been installed at these stations. “This new value proposition will not only help passengers in saving time as they will not have to stand in queues, but the Railway will also overcome the problem of currency change at the ticket counters,” said a Northern Railway spokesperson.  The ATVMs have been installed at New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Tilak Bridge, Shivaji Bridge, Delhi Jn, Anand Vihar, Palwal, Faridabad New Town, Faridabad, Sahibabad, Delhi Shahdara, Narela, Badli, Ghaziabad, Naya Ghaziabad, Tughlakabad, Delhi Cantt, Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Delhi Kishanganj, Shakurbasti, Bahadurgarh, Subzi Mandi, Ballabhgarh, Modi Nagar, Murad Nagar, Meerut City, Sonipat, Gurgaon, Delhi Sadar Bazar and Okhla stations. Apart from platform tickets, the ATVMs will issue second class journey tickets for the stations which exist in its database.The ATVMs will be unmanned and operated by the passengers themselves, a railway official said.“The smart cards could be availed of from the special counter located next to the ATVMs.

Passengers could buy the card after paying a security deposit of Rs 50. It could be recharged with the minimum amount of Rs 20 and further in multiple of Rs 50 up to the maximum limit of Rs 1,000 at a time,” the spokesperson added.

While the validity period of the smart card will be one year from the date of last recharge, the maximum limit of balance in smart card has been fixed at Rs 2,000. 

In order to motivate passengers to switch over to the card system, a concession of five per cent will be given to the passengers. However, no concession will be given to the passengers in the case of renewal of monthly and quarterly season tickets, the official added.

“In case of cancellation of a ticket purchased through smart card, the amount of ticket will be credited to the passenger's card after verifying the genuineness of journey ticket and a deduction of Rs 10 as cancellation charge,” the official said. 

While no duplicate card will be issued in case of loss or theft, the card can be locked to prevent its misuse.

If the card is mutilated or is not readable, then a fresh card will be issued on payment of an extra Rs 10.