Crowd-sourcing, Google help Railways showcase its heritage

New Delhi, Dec 3: In partnership with Google, the Railways has undertaken an elaborate crowd-sourcing exercise to create a digital repository of its rich heritage and provide passengers a free virtual tour. In a pilot project, Google Cultural Institute has deployed six video screens at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Station (CSTM) in Mumbai showcasing the tiol transporter’s rich history and heritage - with much of the content crowd-sourced.  “A virtual visit will never replace the real thing. But technology can help open up art and culture to everyone and we think that’s powerful thing,” said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project. There will be more such screens at other stations to expose commuters to the Railways’ past, said the official.  Even as the Railways began collecting rare pictures through its unique crowd-sourcing effort, it entered into an agreement with the Google Cultural Institute to digitise and showcase these slices of history on digital platforms and to help create a digital repository for free and universal online access. (IANS)