Mobile Ticketing Services – Cashless Ticket Booking In Railways
POS Machines at Rail Reservation Counters
With a view to promoting cashless transaction, it has been decided to install 10,000 Point of Sale (POS) machines in association with State Bank of India at various locations of Indian Railways including ticket counters of Indian Railways.
At present, more than 4000 POS machines have been installed across Zonal Railways.
The payments to all vendors and contractors are already cashless. The payments are made through National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)/Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) mode only.
This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 24.03.2025 (Friday).
Source : PIB
Here’s a well-rounded overview of mobile ticketing services and cashless booking options in Indian Railways. Let me know if you’d like to explore a specific mode in detail!
1. Mobile Ticketing & Cashless Booking Platforms
IRCTC & RailOne/SwaRail Apps
- IRCTC remains the leading platform for e-ticket booking, offering reservations for both reserved and unreserved journeys via its website and the Rail Connect app.
- The SwaRail app—developed by CRIS—is a newer unified platform offering:
- Ticket booking (reserved/unreserved)
- PNR status, live train tracking
- Journey planning, e-catering
- R-Wallet with biometric/mPIN authentication
- Integrated complaint system (Rail Madad)
UTS Mobile App (Unreserved Ticketing System)
- Enables booking of unreserved, season, and platform tickets, along with paperless options.
- Users pay via UPI, cards, or e-wallets, and the app supports multiple languages.
- In the 2025–26 first quarter, the Khurda Road division registered a 103% increase in paperless unreserved ticket bookings.
Paytm & Other Third-Party Platforms
- Platforms like Paytm are IRCTC-authorized and allow reservations using various payment modes—including UPI, cards, net banking, and EMI options. They also offer additional features like alternative station selection and PNR status tracking.
2. Cashless Payments at Counters
POS & QR Code Payments
- Over 4,000 POS machines from SBI have been installed across Indian Railways for seamless debit/credit card and net banking transactions at reservation counters.
- The Nagpur Division of Central Railway leads innovation with QR code-based transactions at counters, enabling quick UPI payments and reducing wait times.
Unreserved Mobile Ticketing via UTS
- Unreserved tickets can be recently purchased using UPI-based QR payments, significantly reducing congestion at counters.
3. Smart Card & Wallet-Based Payments
IRCTC iMudra Wallet
- Introduced in 2025, this e-wallet enables users to pre-load funds and use them during ticket booking. However, many travelers report issues like non-refundable wallet charges (₹10+GST) and difficulty withdrawing unused balances.
UTS RWallet
- Used for mobile bookings in local transport (e.g., Mumbai), this wallet faces complaints over unexpected top-up charges (~3%).
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)
- A translatable mobility card ideal for metros, buses, parking, and more. Topped up using banking channels, it serves as a versatile digital payment tool.
4. User Experience Feedback (from Reddit)
“IRCTC wallet deduction includes ₹10 as transaction fee—so you need slightly more balance than the fare.”
“UTS wallet charges about 3% for every top-up.”
“Couldn’t select UPI directly in IRCTC, only through PhonePe gateway.”
“SwaRail is promising—great booking flow, better than expected for a government app.”
At-a-Glance Summary
| Service/Platform | Purpose | Payment Modes |
|---|---|---|
| SwaRail / RailOne | Consolidated passenger interface | R-Wallet, UPI, cards, net banking |
| IRCTC Web/App | Reserved e-tickets | UPI, cards, net banking, debit, wallets |
| UTS Mobile | Unreserved/season tickets | UPI (QR), cards, wallets |
| Paytm / BlueBird | Third-party booking platforms | UPI, cards, EMI |
| POS / QR at Counters | Cashless counter bookings | UPI, debit/credit, net banking via QR |
| IRCTC Wallets (iMudra / RWallet) | Wallet-based transaction convenience | Pre-loaded balance (subject to charges) |
| NCMC Cards | Multi-modal contactless transport | NFC-enabled transit cards (RuPay etc.) |
TL;DR
Indian Railways offers multiple cashless and mobile ticketing options:
- SwaRail & IRCTC apps: End-to-end reservation with modern payment options.
- UTS Mobile: Quick, multilingual mobile booking for unreserved travel.
- Paytm: Convenient third-party booking with enhanced features.
- POS & QR systems: In-station, app-free cashless payments.
- Smart wallets: Convenient but sometimes costly and non-refundable.
- NCMC Cards: Unified travel payments across various transport modes.
Let me know if you’d like help downloading any of the apps, navigating payment issues, or choosing the smoothest method for your travel style!