Technology Digital India Railways Initiatives
Digital India Railways Initiatives – RRB GK Capsule
Technology Category – for all RRB NTPC, Group-D, ALP, JE, RPF/SI exams
1. Vision & Umbrella Flagship
| Programme | Launch Date | Nodal Ministry | Railway’s Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital India | 01-07-2015 | MeitY | 1 of 9 “Pillars” (e-Governance in Indian Railways) |
Railway Board Mission: “PAPERLESS • CASHLESS • FACELESS services by 2025”
2. Paperless Digital Initiatives
| # | Project | Launch | Current Status (Mar-2024) | Exam Worthy Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UTS – Unreserved Ticketing System | 2014 (pilot) | 6,200+ stations, 1.8 Cr tickets/day | First paperless unreserved ticket |
| 2 | PRS – Passenger Reservation System (COBOL to Web) | 1985 → Cloud 2022 | 3,250+ computerised counters, 13 Lakh e-tickets/day | World’s largest online rail reservation |
| 3 | e-Ticketing (IRCTC Next-Gen) | 02-10-2014 | 72% of reserved tickets online | Peak 29.5 Lakh tickets booked in 1 day (2-Oct-2023) |
| 4 | Bharat QR & UPI on UTS/PRS | 2018 | 68% rail payments digital | UPI alone 52% share (FY-24) |
| 5 | Paperless Charting | 01-04-2021 | 100% trains | Saves 2.4 Cr sheets/yr |
| 6 | DigiYatra – Faceless Entry (pilot) | 2022 | 6 stations (NDLS, Varanasi, etc.) | Boarding with Facial Recognition |
3. Cashless & Contactless Payments
| Mode | MOP (Method of Payment) Code | Max Limit | Rail Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| BHIM UPI | 06 | ₹10 Lakh/train | 0.5% till 30-06-2025 |
| RuPay Debit Card | 08 | Full fare | Auto concession |
| NCMC (One Nation-One Card) | 18 | ₹10,000 stored value | 5% rebate on suburban |
| Wallet – Paytm, Mobikwik | 15 | ₹1 Lakh | Cashback coupons |
Digital payment share in Indian Railways:
FY-24 → 92% of passenger revenue (₹63,000 Cr) & 87% freight (₹1.42 Lakh Cr)
4. Freight & Logistics Digital Corridor
| System | Purpose | Live Data (FY-24) |
|---|---|---|
| FOIS (Freight Operations Info System) 1987 | End-to-end rakes tracking | 12,500 rakes GPS tagged |
| e-RR (Electronic Railway Receipt) 2020 | Paperless consignment | 99.8% freight bills e-RR |
| GATI SHAKTI Cargo App 2021 | Multimodal booking | 1.3 Lakh active users |
| Paperless Delivery (e-Delivery) 2022 | OTP-based freight unloading | 610 major sidings covered |
5. Crew & Asset Management
| App/Module | Utility | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| Crew Management System (CMS) | Pilot call, rest logic | 1.05 Lakh drivers on roster |
| ICMS (Integrated Coaching Management) | Real-time rake position | 15,000 coaches IoT tagged |
| Medha AI-based remote monitoring | 3-phase locos | 5,950 WAG-9, WAP-7 fitted |
6. Passenger Convenience Super-Apps
| App | Downloads | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Rail Madad | 1.8 Cr | Complaint closure avg 4 hrs |
| UTSonMobile | 4.2 Cr | 0.75 Cr QR tickets/day |
| IRCTC RailConnect | 7.1 Cr | 98% server uptime |
| National Rail Plan (NRP) Viksit Bharat App 2024 | 22 Lakh | 100-year rail network vision |
7. Data/Cloud & AI
- RailCloud Phase-I – 200+ rail applications migrated (Mar-2024)
- RailTel Network – 58,000 km OFC, 1.6 Tb/s capacity
- AI Chatbot “ASK DISHA” – 8 languages, 1.1 Cr queries resolved/yr
- AI-based “Ideal Train Profile” – Demand forecast, 3% EoR increase (FY-24)
8. Quick Reference Tables for Exams
A. Digital India 9 Pillars – Railway Pillar
- Broadband Highways (RailTel)
- Universal Access-Mobile (RailWire Wi-Fi)
- Public Internet Access (RailWire 6,100 stations)
- e-Governance – Railways (e-Office, IPAS)
- e-Kranti – Electronic delivery of services (e-ticketing)
- Information for All – @RailMinIndia, 18 social media handles
- Electronics Manufacturing – Rail PSU “MRVC” approved for 4G/5G radio units
- IT for Jobs – RailTel training 1 Lakh youth under PMG-DISHA
- Early Harvest – Paperless ticketing, digital museums
B. Station Wi-Fi (RailWire) – Top 5
| Station | Month-Year | Peak Users/Day |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Central | Jan-2016 | 2.8 Lakh |
| Howrah | Jul-2016 | 2.5 Lakh |
| New Delhi | Apr-2017 | 3.1 Lakh |
| Chennai Central | Sep-2017 | 2.0 Lakh |
| Bengaluru City | Jun-2018 | 2.3 Lakh |
9. Frequently Asked RRB Q&A (Short Notes)
Question:01 When was the Digital India programme launched by PM Narendra Modi?
A) 15th August 2014
B) 1st July 2015
C) 26th January 2016
D) 2nd October 2015
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Digital India initiative was officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1st July 2015 to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
Question:02 Which PSU is responsible for executing railway-station Wi-Fi in India?
A) Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC)
B) RailTel Corporation of India Ltd.
C) Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL)
D) Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd. (IRFC)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., a Mini-Ratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, deploys and manages the RailWire Wi-Fi network at railway stations across the country.
Question:03 What is the full form of UTS in Indian Railways?
A) Unified Ticketing Solution
B) Unreserved Ticketing System
C) Ultimate Travel Service
D) Urban Transport Scheme
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: UTS stands for Unreserved Ticketing System, the platform used to issue unreserved train tickets across counters and mobile apps.
Question:04 Which mobile application enables passengers to purchase paperless suburban tickets on Indian Railways?
A) IRCTC Rail Connect
B) UTSonMobile
C) NTES
D) Rail Saarthi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: UTSonMobile is the official Indian Railways app dedicated to issuing paperless suburban tickets, allowing commuters to book and travel without a physical printout.
Question:05 [What is the server uptime guarantee of IRCTC Next-Gen e-ticketing as per 2026 service levels?]
A) 99.5%
B) 99.6%
C) 99.7%
D) 99.9%
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: IRCTC’s Next-Gen e-ticketing platform commits to a 99.7 % monthly server uptime SLA for 2026, ensuring minimal disruption during peak booking hours.
Question:06 Which digital mode enjoys the highest share in rail bookings?
A) Credit Card
B) Net Banking
C) UPI
D) Debit Card
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: UPI accounted for 52 % of all digital rail bookings in FY-24, making it the dominant mode.
Question:07 What is the name of the AI chatbot launched by IRCTC?
A) ASK VEERA
B) ASK DISHA
C) RAIL MITRA
D) IRCTC SAARTHI
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: IRCTC’s AI-powered chatbot is named “ASK DISHA,” designed to assist passengers with booking, cancellation, and other rail-travel queries in real time.
Question:08 How many stations are fully paperless under e-charting as of 2026?
A) 5,000+ booking stations (≈ 59 %)
B) 6,750 booking stations (≈ 79 %)
C) All 8,500+ booking stations (100 %)
D) 10,000+ booking stations (≈ 118 %)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Indian Railways has achieved 100 % paperless train charting; every one of the 8,500+ PRS booking stations now operates exclusively on the e-charting system.
Question:09 What is the cashless freight receipt system introduced by Indian Railways called?
A) e-FR (Electronic Freight Receipt)
B) e-RR (Electronic Railway Receipt)
C) e-RF (Railway Freight e-Receipt)
D) e-CR (Electronic Cargo Receipt)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Indian Railways’ cashless freight receipt system is named e-RR (Electronic Railway Receipt), which digitally acknowledges freight charges and eliminates paper receipts.
Question:10 [Which technology is used for faceless entry at stations?]
A) DigiYatra (Facial Recognition System)
B) UTS QR Code
C) Smart Card Access
D) Aadhaar Biometric Gate
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: DigiYatra is the facial-recognition-based system enabling paperless, faceless entry at Indian railway stations from 2026 onwards.
10. 15 MCQs for Practice (RRB Pattern)
Directions: Choose the correct option. Answers given at end.
-
Digital India programme was launched in
A) 2014 B) 2015 C) 2016 D) 2017 -
The nodal ministry for Digital India is
A) Railway Board B) MeitY C) DPIIT D) Finance -
Which of the following is NOT a pillar of Digital India?
A) Broadband Highways B) e-Kranti C) Green Energy D) IT for Jobs -
UTSonMobile app is used for
A) Reserved tickets B) Unreserved tickets C) Hotel booking D) Freight booking -
World’s largest online rail reservation system is
A) IRCTC B) Amadeus C) Travelport D) SABRE -
As on 2024, approximately what % of reserved rail tickets are booked online?
A) 48% B) 58% C) 72% D) 85% -
The AI chatbot of IRCTC is named
A) Disha B) Mitra C) Sakhi D) Aisha -
Electronic Railway Receipt (e-RR) relates to
A) Passengers B) Freight C) Catering D) Parcel -
RailWire Wi-Fi at stations is executed by
A) IRCTC B) CRIS C) RailTel D) RITES -
First station in India to get Google-RailWire Wi-Fi
A) New Delhi B) Mumbai Central C) Howrah D) Bengaluru -
Paperless charting was implemented fully from
A) 2019 B) 2020 C) 2021 D) 2022 -
Which payment mode has the highest share in railway digital revenue?
A) Credit card B) Debit card C) UPI D) Wallet -
DigiYatra facial recognition pilot is NOT running at
A) NDLS B) Varanasi C) Bengaluru D) Patna -
“Ideal Train Profile” is an AI module for
A) Safety B) Demand forecasting C) Crew rostering D) Medical aid -
Under Digital India, the target year for Railways to become paperless-cashless-faceless is
A) 2024 B) 2025 C) 2027 D) 2030
Answers:
1-B 2-B 3-C 4-B 5-A 6-C 7-A 8-B 9-C 10-B 11-C 12-C 13-D 14-B 15-B
Quick Revision Card (Pin / Save)
- 9 Pillars – 1 Railway Pillar
- UTS → unreserved | PRS → reserved
- RailTel 58k km OFC = Broadband Highway
- IRCTC 72% tickets online, 29.5 L peak/day
- UPI 52% share → #1 digital mode
- DigiYatra → Faceless entry
- e-RR → Paperless freight
- RailCloud → 200 apps migrated
- Target 2025: 100% paperless-cashless-faceless
BETA
