Delhi Metro to provide automatic smart card recharging service

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will be procuring the AFC gates with new technologies which will have the capacity of automatic top up of smart cards through the bank accounts of card holders (electronic clearance system (ECS).Delhi Metro commuters could automatically get recharged at AFC (Automatic Fare Collection) gates.By availing this facility, when the balance of a smart card goes down to the pre defined value or the minimum amount, the specific AFC gates will add pre defined amount into the card automatically. Later on, the deducted amount will be collected from the card holder’s bank account by the Metro fare collection system. This system will not only reduce cash transactions at the ticket counters but also help the commuters to avoid long queues for the recharge of their cards.In addition to this, DMRC is also developing a new technology through which Delhi Metro commuters will be able to recharge their smart cards through various options such as net banking, credit cards, debit cards. DMRC is also procuring Add Value Machines for recharging the smart cards at the stations through net banking, credit cards, debit cards.The DMRC is currently working on the finalization of the technologies which will be used for this facility. It is expected that this facility will be made available to the commuters in another seven to eight months. Currently, tokens and smart cards can be purchased or recharged only by paying cash at the specified counters, machines or customer care centers at Metro stations.Presently, more than 61 Lakh Metro Smart cards are in the circulation in the Delhi Metro network. About 12 thousand Metro Smart cards are being sold each day from the Metro stations and about 6.5 Lakh tokens are sold each day.The smart cards are very popular in Delhi Metro as DMRC is providing 10% discount on fares on use of the smart cards and many stations have dedicated exit gates only for card users.Delhi Metro became the first Metro rail in the world to introduce Contact less Smart Tokens (CST) and Contact less Smart Cards (CSC) in place of paper tickets to travel in the Metro. The average life of a CSC/CST is 50000 electronic transactions or 6-7 years.