Sat May 31 16:06:31 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**South Western Railway Launches ‘Margadarshak’ Digital Navigation System at Hubballi Station**
**Hubballi, Karnataka – May 31, 2025** – The South Western Railway (SWR) has launched “Margadarshak,” a smart digital navigation system aimed at enhancing passenger convenience at railway stations. The system was unveiled at the SSS Hubballi Railway Station.
Margadarshak features a 43-inch multilingual touchscreen kiosk, akin to Google Maps for the station, located near the station entrance. The interactive map helps passengers easily locate platforms, footbridges, escalators, drinking water points, waiting halls, catering stalls, and other amenities.
“Passengers can also access the service on their smartphones by scanning QR codes placed across the station. This allows them to identify their location and receive personalized, step-by-step directions to their desired destination within the premises,” said Manjunath Kanamadi, chief public relations officer of the SWR.
Key features include 24/7 self-service functionality, support for Kannada, English, and Hindi, and a virtual tour of the station. Margadarshak is designed to reduce confusion, save time, and significantly improve the passenger experience.
SWR plans to extend the facility to other key stations, including Dharwad, Belagavi, Ballari, Gadag, Koppal, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, and Vasco. The system also offers detailed 2D route maps, immersive 360-degree 3D views, voice assistance, and real-time positioning, including a “blue-dot” navigation feature. It also helps users identify safety points and emergency exits.
Railway officials highlighted the system’s seamless experience for all passengers, including senior citizens.
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