IRTC planning to set up call centres

Kolkata, Dec 24 (UNI) In a bid to attract more tourists, the Indian Railways is planning to set up call centres across all the four zones in the country.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) would be setting up the call centres which would handle 20 million calls each day.

IRTC sources said the call centres would impart information on train arrivals and departures, facilitate ticket and hotel reservations, tour maps and guides and even a complete travelogue- in gist a packaged tour complete with hotel and cab reservations. IRTC sources said it would outsource the manning and functioning of these call centres to a consortium comprising Spanco Telesystems, Stracon Backoffice Solutions Limited and BSNL. The centre would go live in March 2007. The project is estimated to cost Rs 80 crore.

The call centre would have value added services such as fare inquiries, tatkaal booking, sms services, etc. IRCTC has tied up with the hotels, and the call centre will act as the window for execution.

UNI JYN KK KLC/AB 1206