Railways eyes Rs 10,000 crore revenue boost via 2 lakh screens at stations

NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways is drawing up plans to roll out two lakh screens across the country, targeting revenue to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore in the next 10 years from this mega advertising platform.Major railway stations will soon have giant digital screens to showcase real-time passenger information and also help the national transporter monetise the opportunity through digital advertising.The Rail Display Network (RDN) is seen as a crucial platform for the transporter to raise funds from non-ticketing sources and strengthen the interface with passengers. Several top global firms such as Google are keen to take part in the project and help design the advertising technology.Microsoft and Reliance have also shown interest, sources said. “This is expected to be the biggest advertising platform outside television,” said an official who did not wish to be named.To begin with, the plan is to install RDN at around 400 major stations (A category). The tender is likely to be awarded by May.Large and small digital screens are already functioning at Old Delhi, Gorakhpur, Gwalior and Varanasi as railways had earlier awarded the proof of concept (PoC) contract for RDN at these stations. Eventually, the proposal is to install about two lakh digital display screens at 2,175 railway stations across the country, at the most visible locations. The screens will be ‘cloud-controlled’, which will allow effective monitoring of the content. Railtel, a state-run undertaking under the railways, will provide the optical fibre cable network as well as its expertise for other technical requirements to roll out the network.