Rlys to have integrated software for instant data collection

The India Railways is firming up an integrated software, a first-ofits-kind for the national carrier, for data collection in the fastest possible time.

Various functions of the railways such as passenger reservation, movement of goods trains and asset management will be brought within the ambit of the software.

Named as ‘One ICT’, the sophisticated software would cost about ~5,000 crore over the next five years and will cover the entire gamut of functional requirements of the railways, said a railway ministry official.

The software will use digital technology for better connectivity of goods and services with the market and efficient internal management, leading to higher customer satisfaction, he added. “Numerous standalone software have been developed by the railways for various purposes. For the first time, we are moving towards an integrated software which will be like a single-window system,” said the official who is involved in the project.

To develop the software, the railways will organise a day-long conference, involving leading software companies, here on Monday to draw the road map.

It is likely to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to develop it.

The conference would be inaugurated by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. ‘One ICT’ will cover all the aspects, including cost analysis, attendance, accounting, asset management, medical management and land management, of the railways. Better capacity and asset utilisation would help the railways run more trains, carry more freight, provide better and reliable services to passengers, increase its revenues and make its operations more safe.