Mumbai: Waiting for a train at CSMT? Have some fun till it comes

CSMT will be the first station in Mumbai to have an Augmented Reality Magic Mirror. Representation pics

Waiting commuters at Mumbai's busiest railway station, CSMT, will soon be able to set off on a virtual tour, from animals to snowfall to magic to visits around the world, with the railways sealing a deal for an augmented reality project. The project promises to get the railways revenue and provide commuters with fun and infotainment.

"Commuters at the world heritage site are going to experience something that no other station in Mumbai has done. Animals and animated characters moving around along with the real world. It will be a treat and should begin soon," Central Railway chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said. The railways has tied up with Timeslider Tourism Pvt. Ltd. for the Augmented Reality Magic Mirror project in the mainline concourse at CSMT, said Sutar. The national transporter will earn Rs 50 lakh from the five-year contract.

"Augmented Reality Magic Mirror uses technology to create a virtual world on screen around the person standing in front of it. It could be characters as well as the surroundings along with a display of digitised train timetable with a dedicated scrolling screen, railway information, social awareness message," he added. Officials said it will be installed between platforms 11 and 12. Railway officials said that the themes will be changed frequently to sync with the season and festivities and keep commuters engaged every time. CSMT sees an average passenger footfall of 5 to 8 lakh daily.