The Pakistan Railways will launch Railway Automated Booking and Travel Assistance (RABTA) in collaboration with Chinese companies to facilitate passengers in planning their journey, WealthPK reports. “The application will help the passengers to manage their tickets, seats, booking, food, hotel and taxi-related matters during their travel from home to respective destinations and vice versa,” an official told the media.

He said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had already been signed between Pakistan Railways and two Chinese companies, M/s Easyway and M/s Norinco International Cooperation, to launch RABTA. The IT-based solution RABTA will not only facilitate the passengers but also help railways generate more revenue and maintain records by booking tickets.

Through this application, parcel booking and tracking facilities will also be available and passengers will be able to have access to the operational management system of trains. The initiative is based on revenue-sharing with the companies, which will modernise train operations across the country. To facilitate passengers, Pakistan Railways has introduced a mobile application, “Pakrail Live”, for real-time tracking of trains. The high-capacity/high-speed hopper trucks have been inducted in the current fleet for swift movement and unloading of coal.

“New high-capacity/high-speed rolling stock coaches and wagons are being procured,” said the official. He said the railways had also introduced services like e-ticketing through Jazz Cash, UBL Omni and credit cards to facilitate passengers at their doorstep and attract more travellers through outsourcing of non-core activity. “A policy for transfer of technology is being pursued in collaboration with the People’s Republic of China for indigenisation of railway rolling stock in Pakistan Railways facilities,” said the official.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk