Modernization of Indian Railways Parcel Management System
There is big news for those who send goods and parcels by Indian railway train. The railway is a cheap, easy and safe means of transporting household goods, furniture, bike or scooty, or other goods and parcel, from one city to another. Now it will be very easy to send these goods by train. Various changes have been made in the Indian Railway parcel service.
Small businessmen and traders, particularly in smaller cities and towns, use the railway parcel service for transporting goods by train from big cities and production centers to the place of their business in a fast, reliable and cheap manner. Indian Railway parcel service is a very easy and cheap means of transportation of goods in India.
The Indian railway parcel in train charges is based on weight and volume, not on the type of commodity.
In such a situation, for the convenience of the common people, the Railways has made many positive changes to make small consignments of goods on a vast network of stations. In a way, it is being called modernization of the PMS, i.e. Parcel Management System. Computerization of parcel management systems is being extended from 84 locations to additional 143 places in the second phase and 523 places in the third phase. This will bring great relief to the common people.
Features of Upgraded Railways Parcel Management System Service (PMS)
The computerization of railway parcel booking with parcel management systems is being extended to an additional 143 locations in phase-II and 523 locations in phase –III, from the present 84 locations. This will bring modernized features in the Indian railway parcel system.
- Enhanced and upgraded user-friendly interface for public website of Parcel Management System on www.parcel.indianrail.gov.in.
- Provision of 120 days advances railway parcel booking space has been enabled in PMS.
- It will show the availability of parcel space on the online e-forwarding note module on the website of PMS.
- Generation of forwarding notes online by registered customers with approximate fare estimate.
- Parcel or luggage booking at stations’ parcel office through computerized counters as well as automatic capturing of weight through consignment’s electronic weighment
- Barcoding on each consignment for train parcel tracking.
- Indian railway parcel tracking status update through GPRS network transmission of data from mobile devices by scanning barcodes.
- SMS sent to customers (both sender and receiver) at each stage from train parcel booking, loading, unloading to delivery on a registered mobile number given at the time of booking.
- Tracking of goods or parcel in train through railway parcel website www.parcel.indianrail.gov.in
- Android-based Mobile application for the comfort of customers.
- New Android-based application for parcel enables loading, unloading as well as revenue data from non-PMS stations handling parcel traffic.
- FSLA module for online show preparation for the registered newspaper, magazine.
- Lease module for the short term, long term parcel, leaseholders for preparation of online manifest and registration of leaseholders
- At the time of railway parcel booking, Online GSTN verification of the sender through the GSTN portal.
Important Changes in Indian Railway Parcel Booking Service
1. Will be able to book goods 4 months in advance
The parcel management system at www.parcel.indianrail.gov.in has an advanced user-friendly interface for the public website. A 120 days advance parcel booking facility is being enabled for parcel space. That is, like booking tickets, you will now be able to book parcels in trains 4 months in advance.
2. Evolution will look like a ticket reservation.
An arrangement has been made to show the availability of free space for railway parcels on the online e-forwarding note module on the PMS website. That is, during the ticket reservation, how many berths are vacant or not for booking parcels in trains. Verification of the sender’s online GSTN is done through the GSTN portal at the time of parcel booking.
3. Barcoding Facility
Customers will be given the facility to create online forwarding notes with estimated fares. Booking of parcels/luggage will be made at the parcel office through a computerized counter and electronic forks that record the weight of the consignment automatically. Barcoding will be done on each lot for updation of status through GPRS network transmission through scanning of barcodes from mobile devices.
4. Get notification through SMS on your mobile where did your parcel reach
At every stage, from the booking of parcels to the loading, unloading and delivery, customers (sender and receiver) will be sent an SMS on the mobile number given at the time of booking. Through this, they will be informed where their luggage has reached. The way you post a speed post or registry in the post office, its message keeps coming on your mobile. At the same time, you can also track it online.
In order to undertake modernization/revamp of PMS further, as per the instructions of the Railway Board, private player QCI has been engaged to study, feedback and new trends in this area for modernization and improvement of the parcel management system in future.