Business opportunity: Make money, become a Railway ticket booking agent; get free space at stations

Business opportunity: You can start your own business with the help of Railways as a Railway ticket booking agent at stations. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has decided to engage ticket booking agents at small stations in its jurisdiction, it was reported on Thursday quoting railway officials. The computerised unreserved ticketing system will be provided by the railways with maintenance facilities and electricity along with free space, the official said.

The decision was taken in the backdrop of the railways' priority on safety-related responsibilities of Assistant Station Masters, who currently sell tickets at the small stations, the report said quoting an official, PTI reports.

The Railway ticket booking agent will sell unreserved tickets through the computerised system, the official said, adding that they will get a commission, the report said.

The number of Railway ticket booking agent at a station will be decided by a committee and people of the area where these stations are located will be given preference, he said.

The Railway ticket booking agent will be allowed to sell all types of non- concessional unreserved tickets, including platform and season tickets.

Concessional tickets, requiring documentary proof, can also be issued by the agents after Assistant Station Masters' approval, the report said quoting the official.

After the agents are engaged, the Assistant Station Masters will be relieved of their ticket selling duties and they will solely focus on train operations thereby ensuring better safety of passengers, he said.

The East Coast Railway is one of the blue-chip zones of Indian Railways which came into existence with effect from 1 April 2003. Since then, the new zonal railway headquarter has been functioning at Odisha's capital city Bhubaneswar.

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The geographical jurisdiction of the railway is however extended over three states encompassing almost all parts of Orissa along with parts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram & Visakhapatnam districts of North Eastern Andhra Pradesh, and Bastar & Dantewada districts of Chhatisgarh State. As such, these regions with a long coastal line are rich in mineral and other natural resources and are on the threshold of an industrial upsurge.