Hours after the Indian Railways launched the nation's first-ever ATM onboard the Mumbai-Manmad Panchavati Express, allowing passengers to withdraw cash during their journey, the internet was abuzz with people expressing doubts over the effectiveness of the initiative in India. One person said there was no real use for an ATM inside a train and called for such a facility inside railway stations, while another reacted, "Good initiative but I don't trust indians." "But our babus have come up with this idea, so we common people might not understand… maybe this is a revolution,” a user wrote. “What is exactly the utility of this? Most ppl on train don’t use cash!!” another user commented. One person reacted, saying the Railways should try focusing on major issues instead of wasting energy on non-existent issues. "ATM is fine but do you believe #rpf can provide security? They'll take their cut to allow thieves to dupe people by using this ATM. But, hoping for an easy and secure transaction. Good initiative sir," posted another netizen. Introduced by the Central Railway (CR) on Tuesday, the initiative is aimed at offering travel convenience to passengers who might need access to cash during train journey. The ATM, set up by a private bank, is located inside an air-conditioned coach in a compact cubicle at the rear, replacing what was previously a temporary pantry space and is protected by a shutter door. The space is placed under 24x7 CCTV observation to maintain security and avoid mishaps. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, shared the video of the initiative, and wrote, “In a first, ATM facility in train.” Watch here: In a first, ATM facility in train. pic.twitter.com/onTHy8lxkd — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) April 16, 2025 The project is introduced as part of the Railways’ Innovative and Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme (INFRIS).
