GUWAHATI: India conducted its first successful trial of an automated teller machine (ATM) installed inside a train coach. The test was carried out on Tuesday inside an air-conditioned coach of the Panchavati Express, which runs daily between Manmad in Nashik and Mumbai.
The machine, installed as part of a collaboration between the Bhusawal division of Indian Railways and Bank of Maharashtra, operated largely without issue. Officials noted temporary signal losses in the no-network zone between Igatpuri and Kasara, a stretch that includes several tunnels. Despite these brief interruptions, the machine functioned as intended.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday, April 16, shared a video of the development on social media, calling it a first-of-its-kind ATM facility inside a train.
In a first, ATM facility in train. pic.twitter.com/onTHy8lxkd
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) April 16, 2025
The ATM installation is part of a joint initiative between the Bhusawal division of Indian Railways and Bank of Maharashtra, under the Innovative and Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme (INFRIS).
According to divisional railway manager Ity Pandey, the concept was initially raised during an INFRIS meeting convened by the Bhusawal division and was taken forward after immediate discussions on its feasibility.
The Panchavati Express shares its rake with the 12071 Mumbai–Hingoli Janshatabdi Express. This means passengers travelling beyond Nashik to Hingoli will also have access to the ATM. The rake-sharing arrangement involves three train sets.
Railway officials said that if the service receives a favourable response from passengers, similar installations may be considered on other major routes. They added that the ATM kiosk is fitted with security shutters and is under continuous CCTV surveillance.
