New Delhi, March 19: Indian Railways, which has more than 8500 Stations, has extended internet service to 158 rural stations through WiFi hotspots. In the recent past, the Railways have taken various steps to improve passenger services like lifts and escalators at the stations for facilitating movement across platforms, battery operated vehicles for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, Wi-fi facility at 127 important stations on IR among others.

Wi-Fi services to passengers are being provided under ‘Railwire’, the retail Broadband distribution model of RailTel. Designed to offer users the best Internet experience, Railwire Wi-Fi will be available to any user who has a working mobile connection on a smartphone. Railway stations are the places where the cross-section of the society is available.

The initiative is part of bridging the digital divide & providing high-speed access network to all rail users with the financial inclusion of Local Cable Operators. This facility shall provide our railway passengers to remain connected while waiting for the train. They can also use this facility for streaming High-Density Videos, do their office work online etc.

Take a look at Station Wi-Fi Status as on 15th March 2018:

Earlier this week, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that the number of railway stations with superlative WiFi service has reached 324, helping meet digital aspirations of the country. Contributing towards the fulfilment of Digital India initiative, the Railways decided to provide Wi-Fi Broadband facility to Rail users at major Railway stations.

Here's the Statewise Status of Railway Stations with Wi-Fi Connectivity:

S.No State/UT Commissioned Stations Coming Soon
1. Andhra Pradesh Tirupati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur,Palasa, Rajahmundry, Kakinada Town, Nellore, Srikakulam Road, Bhimavaram Town, Samalkot Jn., Eluru, SatyaSai Prashanti Nilayam, Anakapalle, Tenali Jn.,Tuni & Vizianagaram Cuddapah, Guntakal Jn., Renigunta, Anantapur, Chirala, Gudur Jn., Ongole, Tadepalligudem
2. Assam Jorhat Town,Guwahati, Lumding, Rangiya Jn., Barpeta Road, Kamakhya, New Bongaigaon, Silchar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh Town
3. Bihar Patna, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Danapur, Mokama, Kiul Jn.,Samastipur Jn., Darbhanga, Chhapra & Bhagalpur Anugraha Narayan Road, Bapudham Motihari, Barauni Jn., Betiah, Dehri-On-Sone, Jamui, Katihar Jn, Khagaria Jn., Madhubani, Patna Sahib Jn., Siwan Jn., Rajendra Nagar(T), Buxar, Bakhtiyarpur Jn., Ara Jn., Sasaram Jn., Jamalpur, Purnea Jn, Kishanganj.
4. Chandigarh Chandigarh -
5. Chhattisgarh Raipur, Bilaspur, Champa Jn.,Bhilai Power House, Raigarh & Durg,Rajnandgaon Power House
6. Gujarat Surat, Ahmedabad, Viramgam, Jamnagar,Bhavnagar Terminus, Palanpur,Valsad, Surendranagar,Udhana, Gandhidham,Navsari, Vapi,Bhuj,Vadodara & Rajkot Mahesana , Veraval, Anand, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Nadiad
7. Haryana,Faridabad New Faridabad Old,Ambala Cantt., Ballabgarh,Karnal, Rohtak, Panipat, Sonipat, Gurugram, Rewari Hisar, Jagadhri, Kalka
8. Himachal Pradesh Solan, Shimla -
9. Jammu and Kashmir Jammu Tawi Udhampur
10. Jharkhand Ranchi, Dhanbad Jn., Jasidih Jn. ,Bokaro Steel City,Koderma,Madhupur, Hatia, N.S.C.B. Gomoh Jn., Parashnath & Tatanagar
11. Karnataka Dharwad,Bangalore City, Bangarpet, Mangalore Central, Hubli, Kengeri, Gulbarga,Krishnarajapuram, Mysore & Yesvantpur (Bangalore),Hospet,Hassan Jn Bangalore Cantt.,Belgaum, Davangere, Mangalore Jn., Shimoga Town, Raichur, Yadgir, Bellary
12. Kerala Ernakulam Jn, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Thrissur, Kollam Jn & Kozhikode Ernakulam Town, Kanhangad, Kannur, Kottayam, Palakkad Jn., Shoranur Jn., Tiruvalla, Vadakara, Kasargod, Payyannur, Thalassery, Tirur, Alappuzha, Aluva, Chengannur, Kayankulam Jn
13. Madhya Pradesh Bina,Ujjain, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Satna, Singrauli, Itarsi,Pipariya, Vidisha,Ratlam, Damoh,Saugor,Nagda, Morena,Hoshangabad,Gwalior & Indore Habibganj, Katni, Maihar, , Rewa, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Betul
14. Maharashtra Ballarshah, Mumbai Central, Churchgate, Bandra, Bandra Terminus, Dadar (WR), Dadar (CR), Khar Road, Kalyan, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Byculla, Panvel, Thane, Borivali, Lonavala, Kurla, Andheri, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Belapur, Vashi, Dombivli, Chembur, , Vasai, Virar, Bhyander, Ghatkopar, Daund, Wardha, Sainagar Sirdi, Pune, Mulund, Kurduwadi,Bhusawal, Nagpur, Kopargaon,Manmad, Badnera, Solapur,Badlapur, Chandrapur, Vadala Road, Ahmednagar,Akola & Aurangabad ,Kolhapur,Miraj &Latur Gondia, Jalgaon, Nasik Road, Jalna, Nagarsol, Nanded, Parbhani jn., Amravati, Chalisgaon, Shegaon
15. Nagaland Dimapur -
16. Delhi Hazarat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar Terminus, Delhi Cantt.,Adarshnagar delhi, Delhi Shahadra, New Delhi & Delhi Jn Delhi Sarai Rohilla
17. Odisha Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Khurda Road, Rourkela, Rayagada, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road,Jharsuguda, Balasore, Bhadrak & Puri -
18. Punjab Jalandhar City,Rajpura Jn.,Phagwara, Bathinda Jn., Amritsar &Beas,Pathankot,Jallandhar Cantt., Firozpur Cantt.,Sirhind Jn. & Ludhiana Chakki Bank
19. Rajasthan Sawai Madhopur,Bikaner,Hanumangarh Jn.,Jaipur, Alwar, Ajmer, Udaipur City, Falna, Kota, Jaisalmer,Abu road, Phulera, Pali Marwar,Lalgarh, Marwar Jn. &Bharatpur, Chittorgarh Jn., Jodhpur Rani, Suratgarh, Bandikui, Gandhinagar-Jp,
20. Tamil Nadu Dindigul Jn,Nagercoil Jn,Madurai, Coimbatore, Chennai Egmore, Tambaram, Arakkonam Jn., Tiruchchirappalli, Chennai Central, Udagamandalam (Ooty), Chengalpattu Jn., Coonoor, Rameswaram, Villupuram Jn., Erode Jn,,Karur Jn., Jolarpettai Jn, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur Jn, Katpadi & Mettupalayam,Tirunelveli Jn,Kanniyakumari,Tuticorin, Kovilpatti Salem Jn, Virudhunagar Jn, Tiruppur, Mayiladuthurai Jn.
21. Telangana Kacheguda, Kurnool Town, Khammam, Secunderabad, Kazipet Jn.,Manchiryal, Hyderabad & Warangal Ssp Nilayam, Nizamabad
22. Uttar Pradesh Khalilabad,Fatehpur,Sultanpur,Azamgarh, Jhansi, Lucknow, Lucknow Jn., Ayodhya, Mughalsarai Jn., Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Aligarh, Gonda Jn., Bareilly, Kanpur, Mathura, Varanasi, Agra Cantt., Ghazipur City, Bhadohi, Muzaffarnagar, Basti, Pratapgarh, Etawah, Saharanpur Jn., Moradabad, Hardoi,Mirzapur, Tundla, Janghai, Meerut City,Phaphund, Meerut Cant., Ghaziabad,Agra Fort, Deoria Sadar,Barabanki,Lalitpur,Mau Jn., Shahganj,Raja Ki Mandi, Hapur, Rae - Bareli ,Jn.,Shahjahanpur Ballia, Belthara Road, Chitrakutdham Karwi, Deoria Sadar, Jaunpur, Rampur, Orai, Unnao, Hardoi
23. Uttarakhand / Uttranchal Dehradun, Haridwar, Kathgodam Roorkee, Rudrapur City
24. West Bengal Sealdah, Kharagpur, Asansol, Barddhaman, Digha, Rampurhat, New Jalpaiguri, Malda Town, Howrah, Durgapur, Darjeeling, Siliguri Jn, Naihati Jn., New Farakka, Alipurduar Junction & Ghoom,New Coochbehar,Coochbehar,Bandel, New Alipurduar,Purulia Jn & Ghoom Kolkata Terminal, Shalimar, Raiganj
24. Goa Vasco-Da-Gama
TOTAL 317 Stations 102 Stations

RailTel has taken a lead in providing fast Wi-Fi for the use of passengers at A1, A category Railway stations. RailTel roped in Google as the technology partner for setting up fast Wi-Fi network initially covering 400 stations for providing fast Wi Fi to millions of passengers everyday.

The Wi-Fi service shall provide high speed connectivity for viewing uninterrupted high definition video, download of movies, songs, games by the passengers at Railway station. RailTel shall be providing high speed end to end network connectivity on Fiber, Google shall be providing the Radio Access Network along with Technology support.

It has always been the endeavour of the Railways to provide adequate amenities to the passengers at the stations. Certain amenities are provided at the time of construction of new stations based on anticipated volume of traffic. Amenities are further augmented from time to time with growth in passenger traffic handled at stations, on the basis of the need felt, expectations of the travelling public and availability of funds.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2018 07:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).