Abstract
This report investigates the current manual data management system of Pakistan Railway. In the discussion, computerized software for centralized customer and employee data management is proposed. The proposed solution aims to facilitate train travelers to book tickets conveniently. A software mobile application namely Hogwarts 420 implemented e-ticketing and database information management techniques to overcome the problem. This report discusses the methodology to design and implement the Android-based railway management application. Finally, the report concludes by discussing the limitations and scope of the current model that only provides the computerized solution to passenger railway system and not the freight system.
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Executive Summary
This report provides an analysis and evaluation of Hogwarts Express 420 railway management system application.
Objective
Hogwarts Express 420 is an Android based railway management system application that is not only developed to facilitate the administrators with train scheduling, customer management and employee management but also for easy on-the-go booking of train tickets via online payment or payment on arrival to station.
Background
Railway is major source of transport in Pakistan. It is the cheapest mode of transport with tracks that are laid all across the country but due to inefficient and out of date management system for both administration as well as ticket booking, its full potential is not being realized.
Design and Implementation
Hogwarts Express 420 is designed and developed using agile methodology of software engineering. Extensive attention to detail is given to UI/UX design which focuses on Android Material design and includes color scheme, icon placement and activity transition. The target Google API is 16 which mean that users that have smartphones which support Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich too can use the application. Firebase, which uses NoSQL, is used as database management system for data handling and manipulation. All this made the application easy on the eye, efficient and easy to use which was concluded after each testing procedure.
Testing
Black-box testing, load testing and alpha-beta testing are performed after every increment and iteration of the project. The final testing results show the removal of most glitches and 90% user satisfaction.
Future Extensions
Future extensions of the project include:
1) Route prediction to predict routes when a customer opens the application for booking a ticket.
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2) Train prediction to predict the train when a customer opens the application for booking a ticket.
3) Smart scheduling to control congestion flow of resources that include but is not limited to trains, staff, food and carriages.
4) Application scaling to make the application more efficient and light in terms of size and memory usage.
5) Developing Hogwarts Express 420 for Iphones.
Conclusion and Limitations
Three-tier architecture is used to improve security and to conform to modern practices. All the objectives and milestones of the project are satisfactorily and successfully achieved in the due timeframe. However, there remain some limitations at this time:
1) It is only limited and available to Android users via Google Playstore.
2) The bandwidth is limited which may overwhelm the system.
3) The system server is centrally located instead of being distributed among remote access points.
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1. Introduction
1.1. Motivation
Currently, the railway routes are manually printed and maintained while the trains continue to deviate from their mentioned time schedules in real time. Moreover, manual railway ticketing system causes inconvenience of scheduling, as the tickets are bought by visiting the railway station physically. In addition to the problem, there are no records of the history of tickets sold to respective travellers so there is no chance of providing better facilities to the frequent users. No future planning is possible due to lack of availability of train schedule to the citizens of Pakistan and no refund policy. The problems mentioned were observed and taken in account through visiting the Railway Station and taking interviews from the travelers. Studies have shown that a computerized e-ticketing system provides quality service to its users and increases the revenue generated by the Railway Department due to its ease of advanced planning and booking.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
Hogwarts Express 420 is a computerized railway management system that is developed to facilitate the administrators with train scheduling, customer management and employee management.
1.3. Project Description
The Railway Management System is divided into two parts, the administration panel and the customer panel. The administrator of the Railway Management System can view information about customers��� ticketing status, update train schedules, maintain employee records, and set and optimize current train routes. Due to the aforementioned facilities provided to admin of the system, the customers can view trains��� schedule and seat availability, calculate fare, book tickets in advance, and pay from their electronic devices. Along with the basic functions, customers can also check availability of seats, request and display the details of the journey. A simple-to-use interface provides additional comfort to operate the system and increase its operability.
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1.4. Purpose
This system aims to bridge the communication barriers between the railway system and train travelers by providing the convenience to books tickets with the comfort of a mobile phone. Additionally, the system assists the administrators to schedule trains and manage employee and users effectively by easy information update facilities.
1.5. Importance of the Project
It is an important step forward in the experience of traveling via train. Implementing Hogwarts Express 420 can revolutionize the tourism industry with the added comfort of staying up-to-date on train schedules. The arduous wait and unpredictability of train departure and arrival is minimized with up-to-date train schedule availability that will assist families to receive their guests with added convenience. This project also reduces the chances of human error made by administrators while manually updating train schedules and customer booking information.
1.6. Project Category
This project is a computerized solution for railway system which implements the concepts of e-ticketing, customer-info management and employee management. The product is a mobile application that requires active internet connection.
1.7. Scope
The scope of this project is limited to the normal central Railway System only.
Further scope of this management system is as follows:
��� Freight Revenue enhancement
��� Passenger revenue enhancement
��� Improved optimized service
1.8. Planning and Project Management
The team consisted of five members who worked on the project of railway management system for 4 months. The team was divided into two groups, A and B consisting of three and two members respectively. During the first 7 days, group B documented the development phase. The three deliverables were System