Mumbai central is on the track to a cashless economy. From buying tickets to paying at the catering stalls, the stations have facility for payments through credit cards or mobile wallets.
According to a central railway spokesperson, point of sale machines had been provided at counters for reserved and unreserved tickets, luggage, parcel, goods sheds and to caterers. Private contractors had been asked to provide Paytm or other such facilities.
Shirdi, which draws huge crowds of pilgrims bound for the Sai Baba shrine, was the first to go cashless on central railway, which plans to extend the facility to all stations under it. In fact, said Sunil Udasi, chief spokesperson of the railway, even the pay-and-use washrooms would soon go cashless. There are a number of stations which are working cashless and the number will rise soon:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) and the Sai Nagar Shirdi are among 15 stations on the central railway that have enabled 100 per cent cashless digital transactions. Besides CST, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Thane are the stations to go cashless in the Mumbai Division.
Pune, Miraj and Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus(Kolhapur) in Pune division, Solapur, Kopergaon and Sainagar Shirdi in Solapur division; Bhusaval, Amravati and Nasik Road in Bhusaval division; and Nagpur, Ballarshah and Wardha in Nagpur division are some of the cashless stations.
