Passengers to soon know exact platform, coach position by clicking an URL or on QR code

Passengers to soon know exact platform, coach position by clicking an URL or on QR code

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 25, 2025: One of the main concerns of almost every passenger boarding a train from a station that has more than two platforms is, “on which platform does my train arrive?”  

Many feel the time after the public announcement about the platform positioning is insufficient, particularly when one has to climb and descend foot-over-bridges to reach the particular platform.

Though there are many websites and apps, private as well as by the railways, including the National Train Enquiry System, but none of them provided authentic information, particularly about the platform. Because, station managers allot the platform a few minutes before the arrival of a particular train depending upon various factors.

Pedestal Display System

As one enters stations in Palakkad Division of Southern Railway, including Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction, and Thiruvananthapuram Division, one can see pedestal display boards at the concourse as well as on Platform 1, displaying visual advertisements. While the advertisement was displayed on the top, below is a list of trains arriving/ departing the station in the next few hours.

The details include the Platform No. from which the train departs and the coach position.

QR-based display

Kottayam-based M/s RWay Advertising that has bagged the display advertisement rights in the two divisions of Southern Railway, and has planned to go a step further to enhance passenger experience. When a station manager allocates the platform to a particular train, the information is passed on to the pedestal display boards as well as the divisional headquarters in real-time.

The agency will paste its QR codes at vantage locations in every identified station, scanning it would take the passenger to a page displaying platform and coach positioning system, said RWay Advertising director Sakthi Narayanan. The service is set to begin by next month.

Mr. Narayanan said that the information would also be integrated with RWay’s cloud-based web application, www.mytrains.in shortly. People visiting the site and entering the particular station code would get information on the trains arriving at the station, their platform number and coach positioning.

Thus, anyone from across the globe could access the information and guide the needy, Mr. Narayanan noted.

The pilot of the project--QR-MyTrains--would be launched next month at Palakkad Junction Station and rolled out in other stations in a phased manner, he added.

Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Arun Kumar Chaturvedi said that the pedestal display system was appreciated by passengers, as they were able to get train information with ease. This was part of railway’s initiative to provide airport-like experience by doing away all voice announcements, starting with stations being developed under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, he said.

Courtesy: The Hindu