Tracking Your Train Status

Gone are the days when you needed to use phone lines and railways station boards to check the status of trains. SMS and online tracking have made things much simpler. In 2011, the Railways made its first step. It launched a satellite based tracking system to spot the location of trains. The Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) provided information on current train running status via mobile phones, internet and call centers.The RTIS was intended to replace the manual recording system connecting over 7000 stations and 8000 trains. The Railways installed devices on all trains to keep track of movement through satellites. The Railways uses Global Positioning System (GPS) and its mobile communication technology to track trains. Digital mapping of most stations have been completed.In 2012, the Railways launched real time monitoring of trains on Google maps, which can be accessed by Smartphone and internet. The latest development is that GPS system has been merged with Google Maps. The same year Rail Radar system was launched. This helps passenger’s track movement of train’s real time on a map.  Rail Radar is technically advanced and also user-friendly. This application provides zoom in and zoom out facility of stations.The Indian Railways also set up a new online service of trainenquiry.com, an application called as National Train Enquiry System, which provides live information on the running status of several thousands of trains off Indian Railways.Another important source of railway information is the website IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering and tourism Corporation). The IRCTC provides information like Indian Railways time table in the form of IRCTC timetable. Log on to irctc.co.in. For IRCTC train schedule, feed in destination information (to and from) and it reveals all trains on the route. Select a particular train and you will be given information on current running status and any delay in train timings. IRCTC login train timing is useful for keeping track of trains.The IRCTC has been set up by the Ministry of Railways to transfer the responsibility of complete catering and tourism activity to a new corporation in order to increase professionalism and encourage public-private partnership. It serves as a coordinator between hospitality industry, travel agents, tour operators and state agencies.There has been a demand for ticket booking facility all over India to deliver tickets at the door step. The IRCTC has developed this facility at Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.  The facility will be extended to Hyderabad, Ahmadabad and Pune. IRCTC has also recently set up a call centre. Any person from anywhere in the country can dial 139 and get Indian Railways related information like tracking of trains.