Status: Not ApprovedHEAD: 24_Mum_MM_Mant-railoneByline: Manthan K MehtaFunds get locked in railone r wallet after failed bookingsFunds locked in RailOne R-Wallet after failed bookings; commuters call policy ‘ridiculous’Mumbai: A section of railway passengers flagged what they described as a restrictive policy in the R-Wallet feature of RailOne, alleging that money loaded for ticket bookings got locked in the in-app wallet if transactions failed, with no direct option to transfer the balance back to their bank accounts.The issue came to light particularly during peak Tatkal booking hours, when commuters often preload substantial sums into the wallet to avoid payment gateway delays and improve their chances of securing confirmed tickets.In 1 such case, Rajesh Sharma (name changed), a Mumbai-based professional, transferred ₹10,000 from his bank account to the R-Wallet to book a confirmed ticket. The booking did not go through due to heavy traffic, but the deducted amount was credited back to his R-Wallet instead of his bank account. Hoping to secure a Tatkal ticket the next day, he loaded another ₹10,000 into the wallet. That attempt also failed.Sharma now has ₹20,000 lying in the R-Wallet, which he cannot transfer back to his bank account under the existing policy.“I find this rule ridiculous. If the booking fails, the money should automatically revert to the source account. Why should commuters be compelled to keep funds locked in a closed system?” Sharma said. “Not everyone books tickets frequently enough to utilise that balance immediately.”The RailOne app is developed and managed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the IT arm of Indian Railways. CRIS officials clarified that the R-Wallet is designed to enable faster and seamless transactions, especially during time-sensitive Tatkal windows.“As per the laid-down procedure, the balance can be refunded if the user chooses to close or surrender the R-Wallet account,” a CRIS official said.However, passenger Anil Deshpande (name changed), who frequently travels between Mumbai and Delhi, said the policy needs to evolve. “The rule needs to change. Users should have the flexibility to transfer unused money back into their bank accounts without having to shut the wallet entirely. It is inconvenient and unnecessary,” he said.Railway officials argued that several private digital wallets also restrict direct bank transfers.Kurla resident Sheldon Pinto said, “Many such platforms at least allow funds to be used across multiple services, as well as for buying day-to-day products. In the case of RailOne, there is no such liberty.” MSID:: 128758155 413 |
