Surat (Gujarat) [India], July 15 : In a significant boost to the Digital India initiative, the Mumbai Division of Western Railway has collected over Rs 100 crore through digital payments in the past year across its network of approximately 97 stations, marking a significant milestone in the Indian Railways' digital transformation journey.
According to official data released by Western Railway, the Mumbai Division leads the nation in digital payment collections, showcasing its commitment to advancing India's digital transformation.
Previously, ticket counters and other railway services relied solely on cash transactions. However, in line with the Indian Railways' push towards a digital ecosystem, the Mumbai Division has rapidly implemented digital payment systems with impressive efficiency.
Surat's Chief Commercial Manager (CMI), Ganesh Jadhav, shared that the introduction of QR code payments and the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) for ticket booking played a pivotal role in achieving this success.
Earlier in May, Western Railway entered into a collaboration with the fictional character Chhota Bheem, from an Indian animated comedy adventure television series, for educational and outreach activities.
Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Vineet Abhishek, spoke to ANI and said, "Chhota Bheem is a 100 per cent Indian character that entertains and educates kids... We also try to reach our passengers for their safety or other things. When the Prime Minister praised the cartoon character in Mann Ki Baat, we thought of collaboration between Chhota Bheem and Western Railways and intensifying the reach among passengers."
"Usually our passengers are adults, but we have noticed that by reaching kids through Chhota Bheem, we can reach passengers as well... If the kids convey our messages, they will understand better. This is we have established a letter of collaboration," he added.
According to a press release issued by the CPRO, the Western Railway will take a nonconventional approach to reach the hearts of the masses.
Characters such as Chhota Bheem and his family will be featured across various media formats, including print, digital, television, radio, and physical installations like posters and school programs, for a period of one year.
This strategic collaboration aims to harness the broad appeal of the Chhota Bheem franchise to effectively communicate essential messages on railway safety and responsible behaviour in railway premises, particularly targeting younger audiences and families.