Mysore advancing towards 'digital rail division'

Mysore Division of the South-Western Railway is taking a leap towards a 'digital division' going in for latest apps and softwares.

It has also initiated simplification of procedures and rules to do away with paper work and taken up a clean-up drive to get rid of accumulated useless records and furniture.

It has taken to latest digital advances like whatsapp, web-based helpline in finance and personnel departments, and digital networking for day-to-day inter-official records. Taking advantage of Google drive, it has already opened up folders.

The division has proposed to offer wi-fi facility on four trains, including Tipu and Chamundi express operating between Mysore and Bangalore and Shimoga inter-city. A trial in the Tipu Express showed network hassles and disruption due to weak signals. Now, a solution is being worked out to offer continuous wi-fi connectivity by Airtel, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajkumar Lal said today revealing the advances being made towards going viral.

Simplifying rules and procedures, the number of registers maintained at different levels had been reduced substantially. Suggestions had been sent to headquarters for doing away redundant 80-90 year-old rules and procedures. Around 20-25 truck-load of useless records and furniture had been discarded after segregation, he said.

Citing an example, Lal said his morning paper work involved around 600 pages. This had been reduced and the process had been digitised, doing away with paper. Taking advantage of Whatsapp, Mysore Railway group had been opened for internal communication. Similarly, software was being developed for web-based helpline.

"Hundreds of inspection reports involved lot of paper work. Now, we have developed 'inspection software', where reports automatically go to the concerned official and action taken will be monitored," the DRM said.

"Mysore division is perhaps the first in the Indian Railways to launch such a clean-up drive and go digital. There will be a perceptive change by Ocotber 2," he added.

Lal also revealed measures initiated for building an integrated security system in the Mysore Station by installing underground and handheld scanners, adding 14 more wide-coverage cameras to existing 20 CCTV cameras and sniffer dogs before the financial year-end.

He announced introduction of Mysore-Varanasi bi-weekly special train from September 19 to connect South with North for benefitting pilgrims going to Varanasi. Introduction of Bangalore-Mangalore daily express via. Mys- ore and Yesvantpur-Shimoga town bi-weekly express, announced in the Railway Budget, would be notified shortly.

The 02681 18-coach Mysore-Varanasi premium special will run on experimental basis leaving Mysore at 6 am on Sundays and Fridays and reaching Varanasi at 1-30 am on Tuesdays and Sundays. The 02682 will depart Varanasi at 9.50 pm on Tuesdays and Sundays and arrive in Mysore at 4.45 pm on Thursdays and Tuesdays. It will have stoppages at Bangalore City, Vijayawada, Nagpur and Jabalpur. "If commuters' response is encouraging, it would be made permanent," he said.

Special arrangements were being taken up to meet Dasara traffic, including augumentation of composition of Bangalore-Mysore, Mysore-Chamarajanagar and Arsikere sections, Lal added.