He's all of 22 and has just developed an app to check railway timings that he promises is "fast", "uses advanced html" and is "clutter-free".

But, Vikas Burman (22), a Dhanbad boy who works in Bangalore as a software engineer in the California-headquartered company Yodlee is all the more remarkable because he is the son of a Dhanbad-based chaiwala).

Vikas, who launched his app on March 30, calls it the liveindianrailtraininfo. "I wanted a name that explains what the app is about. I've developed a fast railway service mobile app that will make it easy to get information on seat availability, train arrival and departure times," said Vikas, who is on a leave to visit his family till Saturday.

Launched on March 30 after two months of "rigorous effort", liveindianrailtraininfo can be downloaded free from Google Play Store on any Android mobile handset.

Vikas, who completed his Class X from Khalsa School Dhanbad, plus two from DAV Public School Koylanagar and BTech in computer science engineering from NIT Jamshedpur said he wanted to develop something that helps the common man.

"I am from a modest family and I know how travelling in trains and buses is like. My app will help people during train and bus journeys when the net connection is relatively slow," said Burman. "Unlike existing mobile apps, my app can work even in very slow mobile Internet connection due to less congestion and delivers fast information."

But his USP, he feels, is that users won't have to key in the train number. "If you fill in the date of journey, source and destination stations, you will get a list of trains. Scroll down to select your train," he said.

Sumit Singh, a sales representative with a pharma firm who travels frequently by train, said he was initially sceptical. "I downloaded Vikas's app claim just because he's also a Dhanbad boy, but once I used it, I realised it is fast."

Vikas, who's hoping his mobile app catches on, said the idea came to his mind while travelling in Subarnarekha Express between Dhanbad and Jamshedpur. "I tried to get information through the IRCTC app but it could not open between 6.35am and 11.15am, that is a 162km journey from Patherdih to Jamshedpur (Tatanagar), due to slow net connection. I thought, why not try something myself?"

This can-do confidence has come to him from father Guru Prasad Burman and brother Prakash, he said. "We are four siblings. When my father started keeping unwell, my brother Prakash said he would run our teashop at Purana Bazar. He said, don't worry, just study. My father and brother never let me feel any pinch. When people speak of long corporate hours, I think of Prakash who leaves home at 6am and returns at midnight."