UP: Airport like check-in starts at Prayagraj junction

PRAYAGRAJ: Moving a step further to introduce airport like boarding facility at the railway station, the authorities of the North Central Railways (NCR) have introduced a facility at Prayagraj junction wherein the train passenger would be issued the boarding pass to avail all the facilities at the junction from a new state of the art check-in counters.
"Four of such check-in counters at the entrance area of platform number one has been made operational and these are fully contactless keeping in view the safety of passengers in these times of Covid-19 crisis, very much like the facility one finds at the airport because we want our passenger ad staff to be 100% safe in these testing times”, said GM, NCR and NR, Rajiv Chaudhry.
He said that in each glass separated counter two-way display TFT monitors have been installed one side of which faces the passengers and other side faces checking staff.
"For scanning ticket and passenger identity particulars, a webcam on passenger side has been provided and which is connected to computer available with ticket checking staff. The PNR of passenger is checked either through capturing particulars through webcam or through already introduced QR code scanning system," shared Ajit Kumar Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer, NCR.
Introduced on the behest of NCR GM Rajiv Chaudhry, the system works in such a way that for communication between passenger and ticket checking staff, microphone and speakers are provided on both sides physically separated through a glass partition wall of the counter. After confirmation of passenger identity and ticket checking a boarding pass containing requisite details like name, PNR number, coach and berth number is printed through a printer provided on passenger side. This boarding pass, which has to be collected by the passenger, authorises passenger to enter the station premises and inside the train, added the CPRO.
However, ticket and identity card needs to available with passenger. The on-board ticket checking staff is also aware of the status of passengers who have checked in before through an auto-updating software installed in a tablet, he said.
"This technology not only ensures contactless ticket checking to safeguard passengers and railway staff but also helps in identifying vacant berths in a train which are then relayed to next station for better availability of berth to passengers. Thermal scanning process is also being integrated to this system to make it comprehensive and single check point for passenger for entry in the station", said the official.