Mangaluru
Unreserved ticket booth of Central railway station in the city is transferred to a separate building. This has caused several issued to the local passengers.
Those who arrive to buy tickets should park their vehicle and then go by foot to buy tickets. There is no guarantee whether the train for which the passenger has bought the ticket will be at platform or already left when he or she comes all the way from the ticket counter to the platform.
There is an automated ticket machine at the entrance of the railway station. However, there is always a huge queue for it. During weekends and holidays the queue stretches all the way outside the station where people have to stand in simmering summer sun.
Earlier, both the local ticket counter and booking counter were at the same building. Now they are 200 meters apart.
In reality it is easier to get local ticket at the counter because the fields that one needs to fill are very few on the computer. But in the automated machine, twice the amount of time is required as there are many options.
Passenger do not intend to go to the counter that is far as they cannot see the train. Though the counter is shifted to new building, local ticket counter operated for very less period due to Covid. Local unreserved trains have begun running since the past three months. Hence, the issue is getting serious now.
Earlier, three automated machines were functioning in central railway station. Now only one is operational. A retired railway staff is given the responsibility to manage the machine during peak hours. He gives ticket based on his token that is recharged for Rs 10,000. However, people have to stand when the process is going on. Many a times, local trains leave by the time the said man returns back after recharging.
Kishan Bangera, deputy station manager, commercial, Mangaluru central railway station, says, “Three automated machines are there in the station. Now only one machine is working. In addition, all passengers rush to central station building to buy tickets, sometimes the queue becomes too long. We have already sent proposal to main office to buy a new machine.”
