Railway passengers have to download several apps to avail of various facilities of the railways. But, soon all their work related to rail travel will be done through a single app. Railway's Super App will make this possible.

The railways are going to bring different passenger services on a single platform and preparations are also being made to launch a comprehensive mobile application for this. This 'super app' can be introduced by the end of the year.

What will be the benefit of the railway super app?

Right now, railway passengers use different apps to book tickets, buy platform passes, check timetables, and do other work. Many third parties also provide facilities from checking PNR status to booking tickets. But, with the help of the railway's super app, all these works can be done through a single platform.

This application will work in conjunction with the existing system of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation), a company that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the railways.

Who is making the railway's super app?

The railway's super app is being developed by CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems). It works to design, develop, implement, and maintain railway information systems. IRCTC will continue as CRIS's interface with passengers. Integration work is underway between IRCTC and the planned app.

IRCTC considers the 'super app' as another source of income. In the financial year 2023-24, IRCTC earned a net profit of Rs 1,111.26 crore. Its revenue during this period was Rs 4,270.18 crore. Ticket sales contributed 30.33 percent to the total revenue with over 45.3 crore bookings.

How many apps do rail passengers use?

Currently, the apps available for rail passengers include IRCTC Rail Connect (for ticket booking), IRCTC e-catering Food on Track (for food delivery), Rail Madad (for feedback), Unreserved Ticketing System (for unreserved tickets) and National Train Inquiry System (for train tracking).

IRCTC Rail Connect has exclusive rights for reserved ticket booking. Hence it is the most used application of railways with over 100 million downloads. Third-party booking platforms also depend on IRCTC for reservations.