MUMBAI: In a major step towards streamlining digital ticketing, Indian Railways has begun migrating passengers from the older Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) mobile application to its new unified platform, RailOne. As part of this transition, the Railways have permanently discontinued the issuance and renewal of season passes on the UTS app, though no deadline has yet been announced for the complete withdrawal of UTS from public use.
Railways begin shift from UTS to RailOne app for local and long-distance ticketing
RailOne is being positioned as a comprehensive “super app” that brings together nearly all passenger-facing railway services under a single digital platform. Unlike UTS, which was limited to unreserved (general) tickets and season passes, RailOne allows passengers to book both reserved and unreserved tickets, including suburban local train season passes, using a single sign-on.
To encourage adoption, the Railway Ministry has announced a 3% discount on the purchase of unreserved tickets booked through the RailOne app using any digital payment mode. This incentive will be available from January 14 to July 14. At present, passengers booking unreserved tickets through the RailOne app using the R-wallet option also receive a 3% cashback. Meanwhile, users opening the UTS app are greeted with a prompt asking them to download and shift to RailOne.
According to railway officials, while journey tickets can still be booked on UTS for the time being, its role will gradually diminish. “Issuing season passes and renewals on the UTS mobile app has been permanently disabled. Passengers can continue booking journey tickets for now, but they will eventually have to migrate to the RailOne app,” an official said.
To ensure a smooth transition, a ‘Transfer Ticket’ link has been embedded in the updated UTS app. This feature allows commuters to seamlessly migrate their active season passes—whether monthly, quarterly or annual—to RailOne. Since season passes on UTS are linked to a specific device, officials said special care was taken to avoid disruption to daily commuters during the migration process. Any balance amount in the UTS wallet is automatically transferred to the RailOne account once the user completes the login and registration process.
After registration on RailOne, users are required to set and use an M-PIN for added security. The app offers multiple integrated functions, including journey planning for reserved tickets, unreserved tickets and platform tickets. Beyond ticketing, RailOne also enables passengers to track long-distance trains in real time, check PNR status, view coach positions, lodge complaints and order food during train journeys.
The UTS app has for years been a digital lifeline for millions of suburban rail users, allowing them to purchase paperless or printed tickets and manage season passes without standing in long queues. Railway sources said that digital ticketing currently accounts for around 25% of total ticket sales, including tickets booked through mobile apps and Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs). Of this, app-based ticketing contributes approximately 8–10%.
Officials from Central and Western Railways also clarified that recent speculation about an abrupt shutdown of UTS was unfounded. A preparatory internal communication from Southern Railway that went viral on social media had led to confusion among commuters. “UTS is not being switched off overnight. The transition is phased, with RailOne gradually taking over key functions,” a senior railway official said.
For now, commuters can continue using UTS for limited purposes, but RailOne is set to become the primary digital gateway for all railway-related services in the coming months.