Bangalore: Railways today (Nov 29, 2004) launched for the first time integrated train enquiry system (call centre) at Bangalore and Patna offering a whole gamut of information on rail travel.

Earlier, people had to remember eight different telephone numbers but now information is accessible on one single number (139) from all over Karnataka as a local call.

As against only 37 lines existing today, the new system has 240 incoming lines for the Bangalore Call Centre, noted Union Minister of State for Railways R Velu at the inauguration of the service in Bangalore.

The new system would provide exact position of the train over Bangalore Division besides arrival/departure of trains all over Indian Railway, said Velu.

As against only three types of enquiries available earlier, passengers can now get all railway-related information from the call centre including fare, concession, cancellation rules, break journey, circular journey, lost ticket rules and even facility for planning one's journey.

The Minister said depending on the "success" of these two call centres, similar system would be introduced in metros and other cities.

For Karnataka, the system has been developed and implemented by South Western Railway, Bangalore Division in association with RailTel Corporation of India at a cost of Rs 60 lakh.

The call centre's features include: same number (139) for all railway information all over Karnataka, voice recognition facility for station and train names, SMS query for PNR and train arrival and departure.

Velu said Railways would soon provide "information corners" in public reservation system offices and later at stations from where passengers would get free access to call centres on hot lines.

He said five public reservation system would be commissioned in South Western Railway soon.

To a query, Velu said survey regarding Bannari-Sathyamangalam and Sathyamangalam-Mettupalayam sections has been completed.

What remains is the survey of Talawadi-Bannari section and it's expected to be completed in six months, he said.