Now get SMS delay alerts at halt stations; service extended to over 1,100 trains

Passengers awaiting the arrival of their trains at halt stations along the route will now get SMS delay alerts if their train is more than an hour late, the Railways said today, extending the service to cover 1,104 more trains.

The service was started for 102 premium trains on November 3 last year and was extended to 157 more trains later. It was restricted to people boarding at the departure station only.

Now, travellers boarding at halt stations all along the route will also receive alerts.

"Passengers at halt stations too can now anticipate when the train will arrive at their destination, making planning travel much easier," said a senior official of the Railway Board.

These 1,104 trains include 1,082 superfast trains and 22 Humsafar trains.

Launched in November 2017, the Railways sent out over 33 lakh SMSs to passengers between November 3 and December 7 last year.

The system has also helped the national transporter decongest platforms. The service is sent every hour and will be available for passengers on board as well as on roadside, officials said.

Under this service developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), passengers have to mention their mobile numbers on the reservation slips to avail the facility.

The SMS service is a free-of-cost service.