The Indian Railways is reportedly developing an app that will perform several functions, allowing users to access a single app for a variety of services offered by the railways, from booking tickets to checking their PNR status and tracking the progress of a train. As per a report, the new, unified app will combine the features supported on a range of mobile apps — such as IRCTC Rail Connect — offered by the railways, while allowing the platform to support monetisation in order to increase revenue.
The Economic Times reports that the Indian Railways is developing a "super app" that is designed to combine services offered by apps like UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System), Rail Madad, and the National Train Enquiry System. In order to develop the app and operate it for a three-year period, the railways will have to spend Rs. 90 crore, according to the report.
The new super app will be developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Railways. "This will improve user experience by reducing the number of downloads needed for a complete bouquet of railway services..."The Indian Railways apps need an overhaul after taking user feedback into account," a senior government official told the publication.
In addition to offering the functionality of the three apps mentioned above, the super app could also offer services available via other IRCTC apps such as flight ticket booking, in-train food delivery, and ticket purchase management, according to the report.
While all of the apps offered by the Indian Railways have been downloaded millions of times, a super app that offers the services of several apps could allow users to quickly access information and perform a variety of tasks without downloading several apps. The availability of a single app should also make the railways' digital services more accessible to a wider range of users, by eliminating the need to browse for multiple apps.
