Indian Railways Moves to Dedicate Counters for Digital Payments Only, Eyes Cashless Future

New Delhi: Indian Railways is taking a significant step toward a fully cashless ticketing system, with at least one unreserved ticket counter at stations across the country set to be designated exclusively for digital transactions. The move signals a decisive shift in how the national carrier envisions the future of its ticketing infrastructure.

Under the new arrangement, the designated counter will not accept cash. Passengers will be required to pay only through QR code scanning or debit and credit cards. The remaining counters at each station will continue to function as before during the transition period.

Railways will also launch a parallel awareness campaign at stations under slogans such as "Go Digital, Be Smart" and "No Cash, No Hassle," aimed at encouraging passengers to make the shift. Recognising that a section of elderly passengers still relies on cash transactions, the Railways has also put out dedicated awareness posters specifically targeting senior citizens to help them adapt to the new payment methods.

The longer-term plan goes further. As digital adoption grows, Railways intends to progressively wind down a number of existing ticket counters. Staff rendered surplus by this consolidation will be redeployed to other departments rather than being retrenched, officials indicated.

At smaller stations, IUTS — which handles both reservation and general ticketing from a single counter — currently remains in place.

To ease the transition for passengers unfamiliar with digital payment methods, Railways has begun deploying Mobile UTS assistants at stations, who guide travellers through the process of purchasing tickets digitally. Ticketing through private agencies, both inside and outside station premises, also continues to operate alongside the new system.