Rail commuters can now use a mobile app to obtain tickets in the unreserved category as the Indian Railways takes forward its initiative for paperless ticketing.

A senior Railway Ministry official made the announcement on Tuesday, saying, "We are launching a mobile-based paperless unreserved ticketing application tomorrow."

The app, called UTS, is now available via the Google Play store. It has been developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). Having booked a ticket using the app, a commuter need not take a print-out of the same and can show its soft copy on the cellphone to the TTE.

Apart from being a green initiative, the paperless ticketing system is also aimed at saving time for passengers as it allows them to avoid lining up at the ticket window.

After downloading the UTS app, users will receive a registration ID number for thhe creation of an electronic wallet. Money for buying tickets will have to be loaded through the e-wallet mobile payment system either online or at a ticket counter at any station.

Passengers have the option of topping up the e-wallet at ticket counters or on the IRCTC website using a credit or debit card, the official said.

Besides booking tickets, one can even renew season tickets using the UTS app, which the official said will be a great help for commuters in the unreserved ticketing segment.

The app-based ticketing system was tried out in the Mumbai suburban sector on a pilot basis. An version of the app for BlackBerry devices will be made available later.

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