New Delhi: Passengers at the New Delhi railway station will be able to access the Wi-Fi which was launched at the station today. The service will benefit close to five lakh people who use the railway station.
"Today we have launched Wi-Fi service at New Delhi station. This has become a necessity for the people," Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said after launching the service.
Terming Internet as a "new necessity", Mr Prabhu said efforts are on to make maximum use of science and technology, particularly information technology to provide better facilities to passengers.
Passengers on all 16 platforms at New Delhi railway station would get 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi, after which they could buy scratch cards to extend the plan. These cards are priced at Rs. 25 for 30 minutes and Rs. 35 for an hour and valid through 24 hours, which will be made available at 24X7 Wi-Fi helpdesks on the concourse at the Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate sides of New Delhi railway station.
Mr Prabhu said Railways is planning to provide the facility at all major stations and trains to connect the common man.
"Our Prime Minister's dream is that there should not be hi-fi but Wi-Fi. It should not be limited to only a few people but to common people also. We are trying to provide this facility to more and more stations as soon as possible.
"We are finalising an action plan for this and besides stations, we will provide it on trains also. This is a beginning today, but it will not be confined to one station only," he said.
The project is being implemented by RailTel, a Public Service Undertaking of the Railways.
The total cost of the project is Rs. 50 lakh and an amount of Rs. 16 lakh will be spent annually to run the facility.
The Wi-Fi facility is meant to be introduced at 75 major category stations within a year.
It is to be launched on a trial basis at Agra, Ahmedabad and Varanasi by the end of December and at Howrah, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Secunderabad stations by January next year.
