Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Suggestions for indian railway

recently came across this site where they are asking public suggestion.

went to the online forum and some of the suggestions are very good.
thought it would be great to compile them at single place for use of everyone.


• Facility also given to the Waitlisted passengers to opt for Tatkal scheme without cancelling the waitlisted ticket or option to be given at the time of booking for upgrading to Tatkal Scheme through online use without approach the counter or re booking online
• THE TRAIN RUNNING INFORMATION THROUGH INDIANRAIL.GOV.IN SHOULD GIVE MORE ACCURATE TIME AND DATA UPDATION SHOUD BE MORE FREQUENT.IF POSSIBLE IT SHOULD GIVE THE REAL TIME STATUS OF THE RUNNING TRAIN.IT WILL NOT ONLY SAVE TIME AND MONEY OF THE CUSTOMER BUT ALSO PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND ALSO AVOID UNNECESSARY CROWDNESS AT THE STATION.SIMILARY TELEPHONE ENQUIRY SYSTEM 139 SHOUD PROVIDE REAL TIME RUNNING STATUS OF THE TRAIN
• it would be very useful to provide total number of berths/seats in each class of a train under all the quotas seperately to help persons making reservations through internet decide optimally. e.g. if we enquire for train no. 2901, the result is ::: Gujarat Mail : 1A;2A;3A;SL Total Berths : 30;120;400;700 General Quota : 24;90;260;500 Tatkal Quota : 6;26;120;160 Ladies Quota : 0;2;6;10 Lower Berth Quota - 0;2;4;8 Defence Quota - 0;0;4;10 Special Quota - 2;4;6;14
• irctc should adopt the scheme of cinema or bus booking there is a representation of seat in symbolic form so u can easily find which berth is available or filled .he can choose the berth buy clicking the icon of unreserved seat like in cinema or bus booking online. it will help in making decision . irctc can charge 10 rs for extra charge for getting choice seat it will generate the revenue and increase the satisfaction of passenger. please take this issue seriously it has utmost importance.
• I believe either SMS or printed paper ticket should be considered as option while going for e-ticket. Since everyone uses mobile nowadays and it wont be a problem for people to receive simple text SMS with PNR and seat number, which they can use as replacement for printed paper ticket. Traveller can eihter show one of it to TTR along with identiy proof. It will very much pay way for greener planet.
• Train departure / arrival timing updates on mobile no given during Ticket booking will immensely help the public in managing their timings well . This will not only help public in saving precious time but will avoid avoidable crowds at plateform as well as parkings
• There is immediate need for online tracking of status of complaints lodged with TTE / Coach attendant especially pertaining to Robbey / Theft / drugging the passengers etc on moving train. Current system helps in handing over complaint form to TTE / attendant / RPF personnel but no clarity on actions taken on such complaints
• While reservation tickets can be obtained via internet through IRCTC. The service should also be extended for non-reserved second class tickets including MSTs. It will help a lot of daily/weekly passengers who commute between workplace and residence.
• Most of the LCD TV Screens installed ind most of the stations except MADURAI Rly Station only show adds and other entertainments rather it should display the arrival and departure informations of trains as is being done at MADURAI Station. This will help the hearing impaired disabled persons a lot.
• Internet based reservation tickets booked through IRCTC should print the fares inclusive of IRCTC commissions and bank charges. This will help us to get the total money reimburshed from the employer.
• Ihe Internet based Reservation through IRCTC should have the facility for onward reservations and return journey reservations as available in Booking Counters.
• Internet Booking of the Railway tickes should be encouraged by waving off the commissions and bank charges as the customer has to pay the cyber caffee charges and the railway saves on manpower and stationary.
• Sir, Tickets should have bar code and every TTE and railway coach should have bar code reader. If all these get real time. The time passenger will come he just need to swipe the ticket and it will update the data and provide latest information to the central location. Much more convenient for TTE to allocate seats, better monitoring of usage of railway passes.
• It is requested that all the quotas must be abolished and the bookings must be done on first cum first serve basis. With introduction of other means of transports now i feel this ancient system of quotas is killing the vast revenue opportunities which should otherwise go to railways but is pocketed by corrupt railways officials in allotment of seats en route to passengers who are in dire need of reservations for a hefty sums or to the persons who are nowhere in reservation charts or these seats goes waste denying the rightful opportunities to the bonafide passengers. Else the system of auto up gradation must be applied 3-4 hours before departure and once upgraded the rest of the seats must be opened for auctions by displaying it along with the schedule chart instead of tatkal .this will not only help in additional revenue generation but shall help in economizing and planning of rolling stock
• Planning of the complete route and return booking must be available with IR.Today, we have to book 3-5 different bookings for the same journey which really troubles the consumer.The IR must introduce system so that the consumer can plan his travel from one place to another and return in one go instead of multiple journeys if direct train does not exist
• For people with RAC/Waiting list, please provide 2 facilities. 1. An SMS/E-Mail facility to inform them automatically if their status is confirmed/RAC. 2. The station at which they can expect confirmation if they continue their journey with WL. This would reduce corruption at TTE level. I normally find people lobbying the TTE for sake of seats and few people excercising their money power as well
• each coach should have two talking device installed properly. it should be used by the passengers for getting service related grievances that railway provide on journey. communication should be linked to the srvice center from where railway personal can be instructed accordingly. often getting help from onboard resource person is not easy and one has no option if they do not act
• make arrangement for passanger to take print out of ticket via PNR number from any where like airlines ticket it make esier
• I am a regular user of ticket booking. If we are not able to get a ticket on a specific day for a train, the system should suggest alternative trains available between the two places. This will be very useful to the customers and reduces a lot of time which is spent on querying for each train. This alos reduces load on irctc server
• Tatkal should be opened up in slabs on each of the last 5 days and NOT all at once
• There are two suggestion regarding railway reservation for physically and mentally handicapped persons. 1. Based on the railway concession certificate issued by the authorized medical doctor, a unique number for the disabled person with validity date and concession amount/percentage should be issued by railways. A nominal charge can be collected for the same. 2. This unique number will help the disabled person or the person making reservation for disabled person from embarrassing question and various queries of the booking staff each time when booking the railway ticket. 3. Further, this unique number can be utilized for extending online reservation facility through IRCTC by suitably modifying IRCTC program. 4. This will bring the disabled person more close to the society and bring a confidence in them being treated at par with the common person. 5. This will also help in saving the time of the railways as well as the disabled person. With regards
• Our Company provides the Prepaid Electronic Recharge system to many Telecom Operators in India. On an average there is one such Prepaid topup retailer per 2Sq Km in India. A system/process similar to the Electronic Prepaid topup can be used by Retailers across India to book tickets via the mobile phone for customers. The Customer will then get his PNR via SMS and he can board the train with his PNR & Identification
• We can have the digital display system to know the station and next station arrival time details so that it will alert the passengers travelling in night time
• I am dev i always travel in sleeper class,i always face problem in mobile charging point. Without mobile lots of work keeps on pending.So i request u to give at least 4 mobile charging point in each cabin. I will be very thankful to u
• The loco drivers are being called as PILOT. They should communicate with the passengers through audio methods with the passengers. He should announce the arrival of a particular station 5/10 minutes earlier so that passengers be alert to alight. During night time, when passengers are to get down at stations, they are forced to wake up for hours together.
• When an ordinary ticket purchased at reservation counter do not require us to carry an identity card, an e-ticket holder has to carry one. Impersonation takes place even while buying a ticket from the reservation counter. We are helping railways in reducing the rush at the counter and doing the data entry duties. Further, we are paying extra also. Why we should insist for an identity proof? I think we should dispense with this cumbursome stipulation. Think over it.
• Sir, I am a frequent traveller in 2nd AC , shatabdi, Rajdhani trains in connection with my job. Most of the time my journey terminates at New Delhi or Nizamuddin. Sometime on my way to outside Rly station, I listen that some local train is going to my place Shahdara. But purchasing a ticket from New Delhi to Shahdara at New Delhi or NZM is a nightmare experience. On current booking long queues are there, One who is alone with suitcase in hand hardly can buy a local ticket in 5 minutes. I have never a sucesses in this matter and ultimately I have to take auto which is not a pleasant experience especially in Delhi. Why not Railway give an option at the time of booking of ticket whether local train facility is required and Rs.10 may be charged from him extra. Or allow him to travel in local train upto a distance of 20 KM. (for that ticket is only 4/- now a days) Even otherwise purchasing ticket from current booking at big stations like NDLS, DLI, NZM, GZB, DSA is a big problem
• Sir , can there be small trains which have less than 5 compartments (if we could redeuse the engine size).the rail remains free for a long time and these trains would be very use full for the short runs. I think raliway will again increase its income and popularity if such trains are introduced. i also think that railway could send each such train after every 1/2hour (u r the people to think that) and still these compartments will be crowdy. This also will reduce the fuel intake of our country if the engines are electrical
• THE VALID IDENTITY REQUIREMENTS FOR e-TICKET TRAVELLERS SHOULD INCLUDE SCHOOL/INSTITUTION idS ALSO AS WE SENT OUR CHILDREN BELOW 18 YEARS BY TRAIN UNESCORTED BY ELDERS AND THE TICKET EXAMINER DEMANDS FOR VOTERS ID/PAN CARD/PASSPORT/EMPLOYMENT ID CARD WHICH A MINOR MAY/WILL NOT HAVE
• Railways must have POS machine for Credit/Debit Card swapping so as to reduce cash transactions along with enhance efficiency and safety
• When a fine imposed on a passenger for illegal travel (due to unintentional mistake made by the passenger) or for any other reasons; can the passenger get a Tracking ID for the fine imposed and paid money? Most of the time Passengers are not aware of all rules and regulations. Due to this some dirty employees of Indian Railway takes advantage of it and also don t forget to harass the passengers. The receipt provided by those people can be very much a bogus one. Provision of such Tracking Id after paid the fine will help to track that the money paid by the passenger towards fine is really going to Indian Railway (Government of India) not to those dirty Indian Railway Individual
• Online booking and cancellation of unreserved ticket will help the passengers and Railway a lot to avoid rush on booking counters.Make it conveniet and user friendl
• The napkins supplied in upper class coaches is sometimes horrible to use. Instead why not the railways provide a new napkins with a beautiful logo of railways for the passengers to carry it and charge it in the fare itself. It vll b extremely higenic when we r in constant fear of communicable deseases.
• (1)There should be a special type of seat or birth for a baby in every coach.this time it is terrible to travel in the train with a child baby aged below 6 year for the long journy. (2) in the toilet there is no mug for the wash in sleeper class.should provide a mug. (3)automatic e ticket cancelation should be stoped immediately.we have made the ticket after paying and at the time of departure of the train ,the ticket is canceled without acknowling me.is this the proper way.let if anybody have an emergency then
• All reserved passangers in Sleeper Class may also be provided with the Bed Roll on nominal Charges.A deposit of fixed amount can be taken as secutiy and a Token may be issued to regular passangers who can obtain bed rolls after submitting the token and same can be collected on returning the bed roll.
• When it becomes clear that a train will depart significantly late from its Starting point, the Railway should send SMS to all the passengers who book their ticket electronically. For electronic reservations, Railways can easily keep the Mobile phone no. of the passengers, where the SMS can be send (this is already done in the case of Airlines).
• if we want to file a claim for E tickets on the internet. thre is no way a person can expect a refund with in 90 days..the average time of getting refund is more than 150 days that is beyond the time limit. i have proof which states that my TDR ispending since Jan and Hune and it been over 5 months and nothing has been done. Create or improve the Tdr refund time atleast if you can not improve anything. 2) RAC needs to be withdrawl because person pays full ticket and gets half of the seat and chances of getting a seat is 99.9 per less.
• Lot of manpower, stationary and time are wasted in Railway for preparation, accountal and maintenance of Pass and PTOs for staff and officers. Instead of depending upon age old system of paper made Pass/PTO, a multipurpose electronic Card carrying personal particulars, Pass/PTO account etc. may be issued to each officer/ employee. The PRS software may be upgraded to read data from this Card so that ticket Reservation is made possible against it and automatically, pass/PTO account is updated then and there itself. This will also enable Railway to keep a check on the menace of over use of passes by Railway employees in connivance with Reservation and Ticket checking staff.
• Presently PNRs of travelled tickets are flushed out of the sytem within a short period. Claim settlement by Govt/PSUs depends on submission of original tickets. I-tickets in original are submitted. However e-tickets (whether original or copy) are same and in order to reduce fradulent/false claims, the following changes should be carried out: 1) PNRs of travelled e-tickets should be kept in the system for longer period (say 90 days) 2) Or there should be some technological system to check the travelled tickets
• Kindly introduce the benifit of telescopic fare for e-tickets (booked through online) when the onward journey is by two (connecting)trains. (e.g. direct ticket from Kacheguda to Mangalore cannot be booked online with the benefit of telescopic rates. Instead two separate tickets kacheguda to bangalore and Bangalore to Mangalore are to be booked.)This will increase the online bookings and reduce the rush at the counters, as presently this (telescopic rate benefit)is applicable for the tickets booked through railway reservation counters only
• In India maximum number of population come to Indian railways when it comes to travelling is there any possibility of creating a database of people by giving them an Icard which can be further used as an account card & addition of various bank details can be added further & this can be used for various government purposes like the intiative of Unique Id by Ministry of IT & GOI .This will enhance the further customer data base in order provide various offers to people with high frequency of travelling similiar type of schemes were established in Airlines market to give encouragement to higher frequency of travelling