Indian Railways Rolls Out Aadhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System For Ticket Checking Staff At CSMT And Other Divisions Across Country

Mumbai: In a major step towards enhancing transparency and operational efficiency, Indian Railways has rolled out a biometric attendance system for its ticket checking staff at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and several other divisions across the country.

How the System Works

The new Aadhaar-enabled biometric sign-on and sign-off system, now live at CSMT, aims to ensure accurate attendance tracking, improve staff management, and ultimately elevate the passenger travel experience.

This system also provides real-time duty data. Ticket checking personnel are now required to authenticate their attendance using biometric devices before and after duty, allowing real-time monitoring of their working hours and duty status.

Implementation Across Zones

According to railway officials, the system has already been successfully implemented in the Mumbai, Pune, and Solapur divisions of Central Railway, as well as the Ratlam division of Western Railway.

Expanding beyond Central and Western Railways, the initiative has also been adopted across several other zones of Indian Railways, including the Varanasi Division of Northern Railway, the Sonpur Division of East Central Railway, the Malda Division of Eastern Railway, and the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway.

Additionally, the biometric system is now in place in the Bhopal and Kota Divisions of West Central Railway, as well as the Madurai, Palakkad, and Tiruchirappalli Divisions of Southern Railway.

Implementation is currently underway in other zones, including North Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, and North Western Railway. The Jammu Division of Northern Railway is also expected to go live with the system shortly.

Key Objectives of the Biometric Initiative

The key objectives of this initiative include ensuring authentic attendance by providing verifiable and accurate sign-on and sign-off records, enabling real-time tracking to support better staff allocation through instant access to duty data, and allowing enhanced monitoring of lobby operations and working hours for improved oversight.

Additionally, the system offers seamless integration with handheld terminals (HHTs) and duty rosters, helping to streamline the overall deployment and management of ticket checking staff.

Seamless Integration with TTE Lobby

The biometric system is integrated with the existing Ticket Examiner (TTE) lobby. Staff members sign in and out using Aadhaar-enabled biometric devices, creating a tamper-proof and transparent attendance record. The data is instantly synced, providing real-time information on staff availability and deployment status.

Digital Transformation for Better Governance

The initiative underscores Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to embrace digital tools to bring about greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability in its day-to-day functioning.

A senior railway official stated that this digital transformation is part of a broader push to modernize railway operations and improve governance. By reducing manual intervention and increasing accountability, the biometric system is expected to optimize manpower usage and reduce discrepancies in duty reporting.

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“Efficient management of frontline staff like ticket checkers plays a crucial role in delivering a smooth and secure journey for passengers,” a senior Central Railway official said. “This system not only improves internal operations but also contributes to a better passenger experience.”