New Delhi: A significant portion of India’s population considers train travel to be the safest mode of transport. For reaching distant towns and major cities, people often regard the train as their preferred means of travel. In its efforts to attract passengers, Indian Railways continuously introduces new amenities and services.
The Railways is now set to launch a scheme for passengers that will be replete with various facilities. This means passengers will be able to enjoy amenities such as free tickets, tea, snacks, and meals. This might sound surprising to you. Very soon, you will no longer be just a rail passenger, but rather a guest entitled to special privileges. The government will offer rewards for travelling.
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What is the Railway Loyalty Program?
It is important to note that under the Indian Railways’ Loyalty Program, frequent travellers will be awarded reward points based on the distance travelled (kilometres). These points can be redeemed for various services, ranging from catering to ticket fares.
According to the Indian Railway Board, the IRCTC portal will be upgraded to function as a digital wallet. Consequently, the longer the distance a passenger travels, the more ‘Rail Points’ they will earn. These points can be utilised just like cash. This scheme is expected to be launched as a pilot project starting in April on premium trains such as the Vande Bharat and Tejas Express.
Insights into the Digital System
To implement this railway project on the ground, a robust digital system is being developed—one capable of handling millions of transactions daily. This system must securely store passenger data and ensure that rewards are credited to passengers instantly and accurately.
Notably, Indian Railways currently lacks any such loyalty program. Therefore, this initiative presents a tremendous opportunity. One of the key objectives of this scheme is to encourage passengers—as well as freight customers—to choose rail travel over road or air travel, given that trains have a significantly lower environmental impact.
What Benefits Will Passengers Receive?
Indian Railways claims that this initiative is poised to become the largest loyalty program of its kind in the world. The program is expected to encompass over 7,000 railway stations across the country. Trains covering distances of up to 3,500 kilometres are to be included in the scheme, which will cater to three crore passengers daily.
Reward points offer numerous benefits: passengers will be able to avail of a discount on the base fare at the time of ticket booking. Based on their accumulated points, they may even be able to obtain an entire ticket completely free of cost. Furthermore, during their journey, passengers will be able to relax for free in the luxury lounges at railway stations.