Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Wednesday launched a smartphone app to book unreserved tickets.

ECoR general manager Umesh Singh launched the app, UTS, which can function between 20m to 2km from stations.

A railway official said passengers need to download the app and register themselves that will then automatically create a railway wallet (R-Wallet) with zero balance.

Users will need maintain a minimum balance of Rs 100. The app will help users book their unreserved tickets single and return journeys and platform tickets.

The official said the system was paperless and passengers did not need printouts and tickets.

The app has been designed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems. The South Western Railway and the Southern Railway have already introduced the app.

ECoR's principal chief commercial manager Ajay Kumar Behera said with the app would ensure passengers would help passengers have a hassle-free journey.

"Passengers stand in queues for hours for train tickets from general booking counters at stations. This app will promote paperless transactions in the railway. Passengers can also make payment through their credit/debit cards and net banking," said Behera.

Passengers will have to click on the "Show Ticket" option in the app when asked by the ticket checking staff. "If the passenger is not able to show the ticket in the app, they will be treated as travelling without a ticket and fined.