Servicers Provided by Indian Railways

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS CHAPTER 1
1.1 HISTORY OF INDIAN RAILWAYS
The novel plan for the introduction of a rail system, transformed the whole history of India. This innovative plan was first proposed in 1832; however no auxiliary actions were taken for over a decade. In the year 1844, private entrepreneurs were allowed to launch a rail system by Lord Hardinge, who was the Governor-General of India. By the year 1845, two companies were formed and the East India Company was requested to support them.
The credit from the UK investors led to the hasty construction of a rail system over the next few years. On 22nd Dec' 1851, the first train came on the track to carry the construction material at Roorkee in India. With a passage of one and a half years, the first passenger train service was introduced between Bori Bunder, Bombay and Thana on the providential date 16th Apr' 1853. This rail track covered a distance of 34 kms (21 miles).
In the 1840s, when the first proposals for railways in India were being debated in Great Britain, there was intense lobbying in support of these proposals by banks, traders, shipping companies, and others who had a strong interest in seeing railways be formed in India. These supporters prevailed upon the British Parliament to create the Guarantee System, whereby any company that constructed railways in India was guaranteed a certain rate of interest on its capital investment. This guarantee was honoured by the East India Company which then controlled large parts of India. The railways that were formed with such agreements governing them were called guaranteed railways. Typically, the guarantee was for a return of 5% annually, and the right for the railway company to pull out of the venture and get compensation from the government at any time. Ever since its origin, the rail service in India never turned back. The British Government approached private investors and persuaded them to join the race with a system that would promise an annual return of 5% during the early years of operation. Once
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

finished, the company would be transferred under the Government ownership, yet the operational control will be enjoyed by the original company. In 1880, the rail network acquired a route mileage of about 14,500 km (9,000 miles), mostly working through Bombay, Madras and Calcutta (three major port cities.)
By 1895, India had started manufacturing its own locomotives. In no time, different kingdoms assembled their independent rail systems and the network extended to the regions including Assam, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. In 1901, a Railway Board was formed though the administrative power was reserved for the Viceroy, Lord Curzon. The Railway Board worked under the guidance of the Department of Commerce and Industry. It was comprised of three members a Chairman, a Railway Manager and an Agent respectively.
With the Second World War, the railways got incapacitated since the trains were diverted to the Middle East. On the occasion of India's Independence in 1947, the maximum share of the railways went under the terrain of Pakistan. On the whole, 42 independent railway systems with thirty-two lines were merged in a single unit and were acknowledged as Indian Railways. The existing rail networks were forfeited for zones in 1951 and 6 zones were formed in 1952. With 1985, the diesel and electric locomotives took the place of steam locomotives. In 1995, the whole railway reservation system was rationalized with computerization.
Indian Railway has a vast network of rail tracks throughout the dimensions of India. The network covers 28 states, 3 union territories and some areas of Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Indian Railways (IR) uses a rail track of 108,805 kms approximately in total length; whereas the total route length of the network is not less than 63,465 km. Himsagar Express covers the longest distance of 3751 km on the rail tracks from Jammu Tawi to Kanyakumari.
Indian Railways has divided the country into four main and twelve other zones on the basis of their coverage area, divisions etc. IR is acclaimed to encompass one of the largest rail networks in the world. Indian Railway Map helps in knowing about the wide coverage provided by the trains of India. This railway route map of India would also assist in exploring the all destinations that are served by the Railways.
1.2 INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN RAILWAYS
Indian Railways (Hindi: Bhratya Rail), abbreviated as IR ( ), is the state-owned railway company of India, which owns and operates most of the country's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India.
Indian Railways has one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting over 18 million passengers and more than 2 million tons of freight daily. It is the world's largest commercial or utility employer, with more than 1.4 million employees. The railways traverse the length and breadth of the country, covering 6,909 stations over a total route length of more than 63,327 kilometers (39,350 mi). As to rolling stock, IR owns over 200,000 (freight) wagons, 50,000 coaches and 8,000 locomotives. Railways were first introduced to India in 1853. By 1947, the year of India's independence, there were forty-two rail systems. In 1951 the systems were nationalized as one unit, becoming one of the largest networks in the world. IR operates both long distance and suburban rail systems on a multi-gauge network of broad, meter and narrow gauges. It also owns locomotive and coach production facilities.
The total length of track used by Indian Railways is about 108,805 km (67,608 mi) while the total route length of the network is 63,465 km (39,435 mi) About 28% of the route-kilometre and 40% of the total track kilometer is electrified. Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 75 to 160 km/h (47 to 99 mph). Indian Railways operates 8,702 passenger trains and transports around five billion annually across twenty-seven states and three union territories (Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh). Sikkim is the only state not connected.

India is a land of diverse culture and Indian Railways play a key role in not only meeting the transport needs of the country, but also in binding together dispersed areas and promoting national integration. Truly, Indian Railways have emerged as the sinews of the Indian economy and have reached out to bring together the great Indian family.
Railways traverse through the length and breadth of the country covering 63,140 route kms as on 31.3.2002, comprising broad gauge (45,099 kms), meter gauge (14,776 kms) and narrow gauge (3,265 kms). As the principal constituent of the nations transport system, Indian Railways own a fleet of 2,16,717 wagons (units), 44.000 coaches and 7,739 number of locomotives and manage to run 14,444 trains daily, including about 8,702 passenger trains. They carry: 14 lakh metric tonnes of goods and about 14 million passengers daily.
Indian Railways have been the prime movers to the nation and have the distinction of being one of the largest railway systems in the world under a single management. Railways being the more energy efficient mode of transport are ideally suited for movement of bulk commodities and for long distance travel. As compared to road transport, the railways have a number of intrinsic advantages. Railways are five to six times more energy efficient, four times more efficient in land use and significantly superior from the standpoints or environment impact and safety. Indian Railways, therefore, rightly occupy pride of place in the growth and development of the nation. Today, the Indian Railways is organised into nine zones and Metro Railway, Kolkata, which are coordinated and managed by an apex body - the Railway Board. The railways in India being a State enterprise, the Railway Board is also known as the Ministry of Railways. Each of the nine zones covers a large geographical area and has a route kilometrage ranging between 4,000 and 11,000.
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.3 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.4 DIVISION OF INDIAN RAILWAYS Annexure 1
Indian Railways is divided into zones, which are further sub-divided into divisions. The number of zones in Indian Railways increased from six to eight in 1951, nine in 1952, and finally 16 in 2003. Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of sixty-seven divisions The Kolkata Metro is owned and operated by Indian Railways, but is not a part of any of the zones. It is administratively considered to have the status of a zonal railway.
Each of the sixteen zones, as well as the Kolkata Metro, is headed by a General Manager (GM) who reports directly to the Railway Board. The zones are further divided into divisions under the control of Divisional Railway Managers (DRM). The divisional officers of engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal & telecommunication, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial and safety branches report to the respective Divisional Manager and are in charge of operation and maintenance of assets. Further down the hierarchy tree are the Station Masters who control individual stations and the train movement through the track territory under their stations' administration.
Indian Railways have been the prime movers to the nation and have the distinction of being one of the largest railway systems in the world under a single management. Railways being the more energy efficient mode of transport are ideally suited for movement of bulk commodities and for long distance travel. As compared to road transport, the railways have a number of intrinsic advantages. Railways are five to six times more energy efficient, four times more efficient in land use and significantly superior from the standpoints or environment impact and safety. Indian Railways, therefore, rightly occupy pride of place in the growth and development of the nation.Today, the Indian Railways is organised into nine zones and Metro Railway, Kolkata, which are coordinated and managed by an apex body - the Railway Board. The railways in India being a State enterprise, the Railway Board is also known as the Ministry of Railways. Each of the nine zones covers a large geographical area and has a route kilometrage ranging between 4,000 and 11,000.

Zonal Divisions of Indian Railways
Sl. No
Name
Abbr.
Date Established
Headquarters Divisions
1.
Central
CR
November 5, 1951
Mumbai
Mumbai, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur
2.
East Central ECR
October 2002
1,
Hajipur
Danapur,
Dhanbad,
Mughalsarai,
Samastipur, Sonpur
3.
East Coast
ECoR April 1, 2003 Bhubaneswar
Khurda
Road,
Sambalpur,
Visakhapatnam
4.
Eastern
ER
April, 1952
Kolkata
Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda
5.
North Central
NCR
April 1, 2003 Allahabad
Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi
6.
North Eastern
NER
1952
Gorakhpur
Izzatnagar, Lucknow, Varanasi
7.
North Western
NWR
October 2002
1,
Jaipur
Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur
8.
Northeast Frontier
NFR
1958
Guwahati
Alipurduar, Katihar, Lumding, Rangia, Tinsukia
9.
Northern
NR
April 14, 1952 Delhi
Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow, Moradabad
10.
South Central
SCR
October 1966
2,
Secunderabad
Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Guntakal, Guntur, Nanded, Vijayawada
11.
South Central
East
SECR April 1, 2003 Bilaspur, CG
Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur
12.
South Eastern
SER
1955
Kolkata
Adra, Ranchi
Chakradharpur,
Kharagpur,
13.
South Western
SWR April 1, 2003 Hubli
Hubli, Bengaluru, Mysuru
14.
Southern
SR
April 14, 1951 Chennai
Chennai, Madurai, Palakkad, Salem, Tiruchchirapalli, Thiruvanathapuram
15.
West Central WCR April 1, 2003 Jabalpur
Jabalpur, Bhopal, Kota
16.
Western
WR
November 5, 1951
Mumbai
Mumbai Central, Vadodara, Ratlam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.5 PROFILE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS
INDIAN RAILWAYS Type: Departmental Undertaking of The Ministry of Railways, Government of India Founded: Headquarters: Area served: Union Railway Minister: Key people: Ministers of state for railways: E. Chairman, S.S. Khurana Ahamed and Railway K.H. Muniyappa Board: 26 April 1853 New Delhi, India India Mamata Banerjee
Industry: Services: Revenue: Employees: Parent: Divisions:
Railways and Locomotives Rail transport Rs. 107.66 billion (US$19.13 billion) 1,406,430 Ministry of Railways, Government of India 16 Railway Zones (excluding Konkan Railway)

Indian Railways operate on continental and gigantic dimensions with nearly:

63140 route kms 44000 coaching vehicles 7739 locomotives 2.17 lakh wagons 6850 block stations 15.10 lakh work force 1.2 lakh bridges 16550 manned level crossings 21800 unmanned level crossings 97 loco sheds 50 workshops and production units 318 carriage wagon and coach maintenance depots Rs.52 crores expenditure on staff per day Rs.99 crores revenue expenditure daily
And their daily transport output is approximately:

2 Million Train Kms 14 Million Passengers 1.4 Million Tonnes freight loading 8702 Passenger trains run 5742 Freight trains run
IR virtually carry passenger volumes equivalent to combined population of over 40 countries, everyday. IR's trains cover the round trip distance between earth and moon, four times a day.
10
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.6 INDIAN RAILWAY FACTS

I Indian Railway is certainly the 'Lifeline of the Nation' with its commendable performance since the last 150 years. Indian Railways is known to be the largest railway network in Asia and world's largest railway system under a single management. IR employs about 1.6 million people, making itself the second largest commercial or utility employer in the world.
IR boasts of more than 7,500 railway stations in its periphery. It has a fleet of not less than 7800 locomotives, 40,000 coaches & 3,26,000 wagons. 9 pairs of Rajdhani and 13 pairs of Shatabdi Express Trains run on the rail tracks of India. In 1977, the National Rail Museum was established at New Delhi. Given here is a list providing some interesting and amazing facts about Indian Railways. SR NO. PARTICULARS FACTS
1.
First Passenger Train Ran On:
16th April 1853 (between Bombay to Thane)
2.
First Railway Bridge:
Dapoorie Viaduct on the Mumbai-Thane route
3. 4.
First Rail Tunnel: First Ghats Covered by the Rail lines:
Parsik Tunnel Thal and Bhore Ghats
5.
First Underground Railway:
Calcutta METRO
11

6. First Computerized Reservation New Delhi (1986)
System started in:
7. 8. 9.
First Electric Train ran on: Toilets on Trains were introduced in: Shortest Station Name:
3rd Feb' 1925 (VT and Kurla ) 1891 (1st Class) & 1907 (lower classes) Ib (Orissa)
10.
Longest Station Name:
Sri
Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta
(Tamil Nadu) 11. 12. Busiest Railway Station: Longest Run (Time): Lucknow (64 trains everyday) Himsagar Express (3751 km in 74 hrs and 55 min) 13. 14. 15. 16. Shortest Run: Longest Run for Daily Train: Longest Non-Stop Run (Distance): Route between Nagpur to Ajni (3km) Kerala Express (3054 km in 42.5 hrs) Trivandrum Rajdhani (528 km in 6.5 hrs)
Longest Railway Platform in the Kharagpur (2,733 ft in length) World:
17.
Longest Railway Bridge:
Nehru Setu on Sone River (10044ft in length)
18.
Longest Tunnel:
On Konkan Railway between Monkey hill & Khandala (6.5 km)
19. 20.
Oldest Preserved Locomotive: Gauges of Track:
Fairy Queen (1855), still in working order 4 Gauges; BG (5'6"), MG (1 metre), NG (2)
12

21. 22. IR Daily Runs: IR Daily Carries: About 14,000 trains More than 11 million passengers & 1 million tonnes of freight 23. IR's only line with Rack & Pinion From Mettupalayam to Conoor system: 24. IR's Fastest Train: Bhopal-Shatabdi (runs at a speed up to 140 Km/ph) 25. Railway Station with all the Three Siliguri Railway Station Gauges: 26. 27. 28. Route Kilometers of Track: People Employed in IR: More than 62,000 kms About 1.6 million people
Train with Maximum Number of Howrah-Amritsar Express (115 halts) Halts:
29.
Trains without Commercial Halts:
Sampoorna HowrahRajdhani,
Kranti Bombay
Express, Rajdhani,
Pragati Express and Pune Shatabdi 30. Stations across State Lines: Navapur (Maharashtra and Gujarat),
Bhawani Mandi (Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) 31. Classes of travel on Indian Railway: Ist AC, 2nd AC, 3rd AC, AC Chair Car IInd sleeper & IInd ordinary
13
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.7 IMPORTANCE OF RAIL TRANSPORT IN INDIA

Rail transport is a commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in India. Almost all rail operations in India are handled by a state-owned company, Indian Railways, under the federal Ministry of Railways. The rail network traverses the length and breadth of the country, covering a total length of 63,140 kilometres (39,233 mi). It is said to be the 4th largest railway network in the world, transporting over 6 billion passengers and over 350 million tonnes of freight annually. Its operations cover twenty-eight states and three union territories and also provide limited service to Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Both passenger and freight traffic has seen steady growth, and as per the 2009 budget presented by the Railway Minister, the Indian Railways carried almost 7 billion passengers in 2008. Railways were introduced to India in 1853, and by the time of India's independence in 1947 they had grown to forty-two rail systems. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unitIndian Railwaysto form one of the largest networks in the world. The broad gauge is the majority and original standard gauge in India; more recent networks of metre and narrow gauge are being replaced by broad gauge under Project Unigauge. The steam locomotives have been replaced over the years with diesel and electric locomotives Locomotives manufactured at several places in India are assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power and type of operation. Colour signal lights are used as signals, but in some remote areas of operation, the older semaphores and disc-based signalling are still in use. Accommodation classes range from general through first class AC. Trains have been classified according to speed and area of operation. Many trains are officially identified by a four-digit code, though many are commonly known by unique names. The ticketing system has been computerized to a large extent, and there are reserved as well as unreserved categories of tickets. Rail transport is a commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in India. Almost all rail operations in India are handled by a state-owned company, Indian Railways, under the federal Ministry of Railways. The rail network traverses the length and breadth of the country, covering a
14

total length of 63,140 kilometres (39,233 mi). It is said to be the 4th largest railway network in the world, transporting over 6 billion passengers and over 350 million tonnes of freight annually. Its operations cover twenty-eight states and three union territories and also provide limited service to Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Both passenger and freight traffic has seen steady growth, and as per the 2009 budget presented by the Railway Minister, the Indian Railways carried almost 7 billion passengers in 2008.
Railways were introduced to India in 1853, and by the time of India's independence in 1947 they had grown to forty-two rail systems. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unitIndian Railwaysto form one of the largest networks in the world. The broad gauge is the majority and original standard gauge in India; more recent networks of metre and narrow gauge are being replaced by broad gauge under Project Unigauge. The steam locomotives have been replaced over the years with diesel and electric locomotives Locomotives manufactured at several places in India are assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power and type of operation. Colour signal lights are used as signals, but in some remote areas of operation, the older semaphores and disc-based signalling are still in use.
Accommodation classes range from general through first class AC. Trains have been classified according to speed and area of operation. Many trains are officially identified by a four-digit code, though many are commonly known by unique names. The ticketing system has been computerised to a large extent, and there are reserved as well as unreserved categories of tickets.
15
PEST ANALYSIS - INDIAN RAILWAYS

Indian railway is the backbone of public transport. It has the second largest network of railway lines in the world. It celebrated its 150 years of service this year. From covering a distance of just 33km from Mumbai to Thane to a massive network of 63,800 route km spread across has been a long journey and dedicated service to the nation. Railways are not merely a mode of transport. It is a small revolution in itself which has changed our social, cultural and economic life in a number of ways. It is a symbol of unity in diversity. It runs 14,444 trains everyday and have many costs associated with it, but it is not generating the required revenue to bear maintenance costs and the new platforms and stations built. Thus, the PEST Analysis will help us find out the problems associated with Indian Railways and will help to solve them. Doing a PEST analysis will help us to know the political issues affecting Indian Railways, the governmental policies, rules and regulations. It also helps to know how it is affecting the Indian economy as a whole, the socio-cultural issues and the technological advances being made. Let us go further with the PEST Analysis.
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
Railways are owned and managed by the Government of India and thus profit is not the main
motive. It is meant to serve all the sections of society, more so the economically and socially backward regions. The GOI lays down policies to be followed by the employees. The GOI decides the fares but
has decentralized certain powers. The General Managers of Zonal Railways are given to finalize tenders and contracts up to a value of 15 crores at their own level. The GOI has adopted proactive strategies for railways aimed at income generation and cutting
costs. Passenger awareness programmes are also being taken up through public announcements, posters, films, etc
16
Privatization: the GOI was deciding to privatize the Indian Railway but did not, since the
general public started protesting against the decision to privatize, because if the private companies entered the consumers would suffer. We can see the problem Britain is facing by privatizing its railways.
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
Conserves foreign exchange: Indian Railways have a number of production units spread all
over the country, with modern electric and diesel locomotives and other equipments which they are able to export through aggressive marketing and foreign tie-ups which help to conserve the much needed Foreign Exchange.
Indirectly affecting the economy: The Government is not generating revenue from the Indian
Raiwlays since it cannot increase the fares and so has to resort to other measures of earning revenue and has to mainly cut down its expenses, only then will it be able to contribute something to the economy.
Growing economic burden: To fulfill the demands of growing population, new stations and
platforms are build which increases the cost of infrastructure and its maintenance. Thus it can reduce the economic burden by earning revenue through other sources like setting up of LCD projectors on various railway platforms which features commercials which acts as a source of income. Also, hoardings on the platforms help to generate revenue.
17

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Railways have played a very important role in social revolution as it is gradually wiping out
the socio-economic disparities and bringing the people of various regions close to each other.
Railways are an environment-friendly mode of transport as it uses the energy more efficiently
than road transport.
Its share in total transportation has declined from 89% to 40% in freight and from 70% to 20%
in passenger traffic.
Safety: a non-lapsable Special Railway Safety Fund of Rs 17,000 crores is created to wipe out
the backlog of replacement of over-aged assets and safety enhancement within the next 5 years.
Social status: It plays a very important role because people choose to go by train which suit
their status. Eg: the middle class would prefer superfast trains like Shatabdi, Rajdhani Express while the poor class will have to travel by the local trains which will take days together to reach the destination.
TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
The reservation systems have been computerized which helps people to book the tickets from any station. People can also book tickets on the internet, but people face problems while buying season passes if the computer fails.
There are coupon validating machines on most of the railway stations. Now, the Indian railways have the best of the facilities, improved engines, machines and technology.
18
Super fast and express trains have been introduced. There are also metro rails in many cities like Kolkatta, Delhi.
The Konkan Railways have developed the anti-collision devices. Better and improved signaling systems.
Palace on wheels in Jaipur can be taken as the best example for technological advancement or innovation.
19
SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE INDIAN RAILWAYS

CHAPTER 3 DIFFERENT TRAINS AND THEIR ACCOMMODATION
3.1 HIERARCHY OF TRAINS Trains are classified by their average speed. A faster train has fewer stops ("halts") than a slower one and usually caters to long-distance travel. Rank 1. Train Rajdhani Express Description
These are all air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. The Rajdhanis have the highest priority and are the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 140 km/h (87 mph). There are only a few stops on a Rajdhani route.
2.
Shatabdi Jan
and The Shatabdi trains are AC intercity seater-type trains. Jan-Shatabdi trains
Shatabdi are generally non-AC and thus cheaper.
Expresses 3.
Super-fast Expresses Mail trains These are trains that have an average speed greater than 55 km/h (34 mph). or Tickets for these trains have an additional super-fast surcharge.
4.
Express
These are the most common kind of trains in India. They have more stops than their super-fast counterparts, but they stop only at relatively important intermediate stations.
5. 6.
Passenger
and These are slow trains that stop at every single station, and are the cheapest trains. The entire train consists of the General-type compartments. Trains that operate in urban areas, usually stop at all stations.
Fast Passenger Suburban trains
20

3.2 ACCOMMODATION CLASSES
A standard passenger rake contains many coaches of different classes. The following table lists the classes in operation. Not all classes may be attached to a rake though. Class 1A
Description The First class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the fares are on par with airlines. Bedding is included with the fare in IR. This air conditioned coach is present only on popular routes between metropolitan cities and can carry 18 passengers. The coaches are carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacy features like personal coupes.
2A
AC-Two tier: Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, ample leg room, curtains and individual reading lamps. Berths are usually arranged in two tiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach then the gangway then two berths longways, with curtains provided to give some privacy from those walking up and down. Bedding is included with the fare. A broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers.
FC 3A
First class: Same as 1AC, without the air conditioning. This class is not very common. AC three tier: Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths. Berths are usually arranged as in 2AC but with three tiers across the width and two longways as before giving eight bays of eight. They are slightly less well appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is included with fare. It carries 64 passengers in broad gauge.
CC EC SL
AC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used for day travel between cities. Executive class chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of four seats in a row used for day travel between cities. Sleeper class: The sleeper class is the most common coach, and usually up to ten coaches could be attached. These are regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically stacked. In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach.
2S G or UR
Seater class: same as AC Chair car, but without the air-conditioning. General or Unreserved: The cheapest accommodations, with seats made of pressed wood and are rarely cushioned. Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same route if boarded within 24 hours of buying the ticket.
21
PASSENGER SERVICES
The Indian Railways, with their network of thousands of kilometers, transport over 1.4 crore passengers every day. The sheer volume of passenger traffic entails upon the Indian Railways (IR) to provide efficient passenger services. The Railways recognize this and have communicated their vision in their Citizens Charter on Passenger Services on Indian Railways. The charter promises safe and dependable train services, setting notified standards for various services, providing courteous and efficient counter service, ensuring adequate passenger amenities in trains and at railway stations and setting up responsive and effective grievance redressal machinery at various levels for time bound resolution of complaints and grievances as far as possible. To give shape to their vision, IR categorised stations into seven categories (A1, A, B, C, D, E and F) based on the annual passenger earnings for provision of passenger amenities and has formulated guidelines prescribing a quantitative scale for provision of minimum essential passenger amenities for each category of stations and provided norms for augmentation of recommended amenities based on actual passenger traffic handled at stations.
IR has taken various initiatives for providing efficient services at railway stations by identification of model stations for provision of upgraded passenger amenities as well as other stations have been identified for provision of certain touch and feel items to transform them into modern stations in order to bring about visible improvements at stations. The year 2006 was also declared as the Year of the Passenger Services with a smile.
These efforts have, apparently, begun to bear fruit. As even though, most passengers surveyed by audit rated their overall experience with railways between five and six on a scale of ten, an overwhelming majority (91 per cent) felt that services have been improving over the years. This perception of the passengers and findings of audit indicate that while a movement forward has begun, certain areas of concern still remain, which need to be addressed for realisation of the Citizens Charters vision to the fullest.
22
Indian Railways operates 8,702 passenger trains and transports around five billion annually across twenty-seven states and three union territories (Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh). Sikkim is the only state not connected. The passenger division is the most preferred form of long distance transport in most of the country. In South India and North-East India however, buses are the preferred mode of transport for medium to long distance transport. A standard passenger train consists of eighteen coaches, but some popular trains can have up to twenty-four coaches. Coaches are designed to accommodate anywhere from eighteen to seventytwo passengers, but may actually accommodate many more during the holiday seasons and on busy routes. The coaches in use are vestibules, but some of these may be dummied on some trains for operational reasons. Freight trains use a large variety of wagons. Each coach has different accommodation class; the most popular being the sleeper class. Up to nine of these type coaches are usually coupled. Air conditioned coaches are also attached, and a standard train may have between three to five air-conditioned coaches. Overcrowding is the most widely faced problem with Indian Railways. In the holiday seasons or on long weekends, trains are usually packed more than their prescribed limit. Ticket-less travel which results in large losses for the IR is also an additional problem faced.
23
4.1 FACILITIES FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Government of India has enacted The People with Disabilities, Equal Opportunities and Protection of Rights Act of 1995 to ensure social justice and to enable provision of equal opportunities and facilities for the physically challenged. The comprehensive instructions for provision of passenger amenities at stations issued by IR in January 2007 caters to this legislation by envisaging provision of various amenities for the physically challenged such standard ramp with railing, nonslippery walkway from parking lot to the station building, signage of appropriate visibility, drinking water taps, toilets and at least two parking lots etc at all stations in the short term. The long term facilities comprise provision of facility for interplatform transfer and engraving on edges of platforms.
4.2 PORTER SERVICES
Indian Railways has provided porters at railway stations for the convenience of passengers traveling with heavy luggage, those traveling with children, the old and infirm and others who either cannot or do not wish to carry luggage on their person. IR has issued instructions to the zones that the porter charges areto be reviewed every alternate year. For the benefit of passengers, the porter charges fixed at the respective stations are to be displayed at the stations.
4.3 BRAKE VAN FACILITY
As per extant rules each passenger is allowed a free allowance of luggage varying from 35 kilograms in second class to 70 kilograms in AC First class and an additional marginal allowance ranging from 10 to 15 kilograms, which he is entitled to carry with him in the compartment free of cost and any excess luggage has to be carried in the brake van. Luggage carried by passengers in compartments beyond the prescribed free allowance would be charged at more than the normal rate.
24
4.4 REFUND SERVICES
Existing rules provide that if a passenger is unable to obtain refunds across the counter for untraveled partially travelled tickets owing to his failure to surrender tickets within the prescribed time limit, he has to obtain refund from the Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds). IR has committed in its Citizen Charter of Passenger Services that refunds in such cases would ordinarily be settled within 90 days. The procedure requires the passenger to obtain a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) from the station and then claim refund in proper proforma from the Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds) within 90 days from the date of deposit of TDR. Failure to apply in the prescribed proforma within the prescribed time limit would result in the case being treated as an unclaimed case, which would be repudiated and debarred.
25
CHAPTER 5
SERVICES IN TRAIN
Indian Railways has also provided a commitment in its Citizens Charter on Passenger Services of Indian Railways to ensure adequate facilities in trains apart from providing safe and dependable service. Providing security in trains to traveling passengers is an essential service keeping in view the increasing crime rate. Similarly, augmented first aid boxes, communication facility and catering services are other facilities that are provided in trains. A review of these facilities provided in trains disclosed that the security, medical and communication facilities provided were inadequate and ineffective.
5.1 SECURITY ARRANGEMENT IN TRAINS Effective security arrangements on board the trains call for adequate deployment of escort security on board the trains, provision of security equipment to the escort security and efficient coordination between the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and the commercial staff on board the trains. Norms have been prescribed for acquisition and provision of various security related equipment in the zones. 5.2 MEDICAL AND COMMUNICATION FACILITIES IN TRAINS Extant instructions (September 2000 and April 2001) of IR stipulated provision of Augmented First Aid boxes in certain long distance trains was implemented by March 2003. The Augmented First Aid boxes are to be placed under the charge of Train Superintendent or the Pantry Car Manager and the Chief Medical Director is to ensure supply and refilling of medicines in Augmented First Aid boxes as per demand. Similarly communication facility has been provided in some select trains.
26
5.3 CATERING SERVICES
Catering services in trains are provided by licensed caterers engaged by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC). IR has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRCTC for revenue sharing, which also stipulates that IRCTC would enter into a standard agreement with each zone for the every category of service provided. The MoU also envisages an overseeing role for IR. IRCTC had to observe all rules and instructions issued by IR from time to time. Indian Railway Medical Manual stipulates collection of at least two food samples every month by each food inspector to ensure implementation of the provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
5.4 SPECIAL PASSENGER SERVICES

There are several comprehensible and user-friendly services provided by Indian Railways. These services have been designed to take some load off the railway ticketing and reservation department all over the country.
1. Passengers can check their reservation status and send an enquiry to the department of railways through an SMS. There are pre-defined keywords that are assigned to different types of queries.
2. Online booking and advanced reservation of rail tickets is another important feature provided by the Indian Railways to facilitate convenient booking saving the time and energy of both the corporation and the passenger.
3. Tatkal Scheme is a specialized service designed to allow urgent bookings in all classes except First AC and Executive class. Tatkal e-ticket service is available on selected trains and the reservation can be done as early as 2 days time up to chart preparation.
27
5. Indian Railways operates certain reasonably priced tour packages across the nation for domestic as well as foreign tourists. These tour packages are categorised under the Bharat Darshan plan, with wide-ranging destinations and tourism packages. Tourism trains also ply in varied parts of the country to introduce, re-introduce, live and re-live the real, ancient India, its heritage and culture.
Suburban Rail Many cities have their own dedicated suburban networks to cater to commuters. Currently, suburban networks operate in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune. Hyderabad and Pune do not have dedicated suburban tracks but share the tracks with long distance trains. New Delhi and Kolkata have their own metro networks namely the New Delhi Metro and the Kolkata metro respectively. Suburban trains that handle commuter traffic are usually fifteen coaches, with an electric multiple unit (EMU) at each end. The rakes in Mumbai run on direct current, while those elsewhere use alternating current. A standard coach is designed to accommodate ninety-six sitting passengers, but the actual number of passengers can easily double or triple with standees during rush hour. Mumbai's rail transport is jointly managed by the Central and Western Railways. It has three lines, one managed by the WR and other two managed by the Central Railway. The Kolkata metro has the administrative status of a zonal railway, though it does not come under the seventeen railway zones.
28
TICKETING
Annexure 2, 3
India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and passenger traffic is heavily subsidized by freight. Until the late 1980s, Indian Railway ticket reservations were done manually. In late 1987, the Railways started using a computerised ticketing system. The entire ticketing system went online in 1995 to provide up to date information on status and availability. Today the ticketing network is computerised to a large extent, with the exception of some remote places. Computerized tickets can be booked for any two points in the country. Tickets can also be booked through the internet and via mobile phones, though this method carries an additional surcharge.
Discounted tickets are available for senior citizens (above sixty years) and some other categories of passengers including the disabled, students, sportspersons, persons afflicted by serious diseases, or persons appearing for competitive examinations. One compartment of the lowest class of accommodation is earmarked for ladies in every passenger carrying train. Some berths or seats in sleeper class and second class are also earmarked for ladies. Season tickets permitting unlimited travel on specific sections or specific trains for a specific time period may also be available. Foreign tourists can buy an Indrail Pass, which is modelled on the lines of the Eurail Pass, permitting unlimited travel in India for a specific time period.
For long-distance travel, reservation of a berth can be done for comfortable travel up to 90 days prior to the date of intended travel.Details such as the name, age and concession (if eligible) are required and are recorded on the ticket. The ticket price usually includes the base fare which depends on the classification of the train (example: super-fast surcharge if the train is classified as a super-fast), the class in which one wishes to travel and the reservation charge for overnight journeys
If a seat is not available, then the ticket is given a wait listed number; else the ticket is confirmed, and a berth number is printed on the ticket. A person receiving a wait listed ticket will have to wait
29

until there are enough cancellations to enable him to move up the list and obtain a confirmed ticket. If his ticket is not confirmed on the day of departure, he may not board the train. Some of the tickets are assigned to the RAC or Reservation against Cancellation which is between the waiting list and the confirmed list. These allow the ticket holder to board the train and obtain an allotted seat decided by a ticket collector, after the ticket collector has ascertained that there is a vacant (absentee) seat.
Reserved Railway Tickets can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited,] and also through mobile Phones and SMS. Tickets booked through this site are categorised in to iTickets and eTickets. iTickets are those, which are booked by a passenger and then printed and delivered to the passenger for carrying during journey. eTickets are those, which the passenger can print himself at his end and carry while travelling. For booking an eTicket, one needs one of the authorised valid Photo Identity Card. Cancellation of eTickets are also done online, without the requirement for the passenger to go to any counter. Non-reserved tickets are available for purchase on the platform at any time before departure. A non-reserved ticket holder may only board the general compartment class. All suburban networks issue nonreserved tickets valid for a limited time period. For frequent commuters, a season pass (monthly or quarterly) guarantees unlimited travel between two stops. Billing and Payment: As soon as the tickets are booked by the customer they need to make the payment on the spot, but it depends on whether the customer physically comes to the stations for reservations or they are booking the tickets online or through the traveling agents. Major credit cards are accepted by travel agents nowadays.
30

6.1 TATKAL SCHEME
Tatkal means urgent. For the benefit of the genuine passengers who plan their journey at short notice, a Tatkal Scheme for reservation has been introduced on Indian Railways. This facility provides confirmed accommodation to the needy passengers on payment of nominal premium on first come first serve basis. There is a premium to be paid for getting reservations against Tatkal Quota. Tatkal Scheme reservation starts only from 5 day in advance at 8.00 hours. After preparation of charts, the reservation in Tatkal coaches will be done on the current counters specifically earmarked if berths are available. For getting reservation under this scheme the passenger has to produce a photo identity card/Credit card with proper serial number or a voter card with photograph of the passenger or a driving license or a Ration card with photograph. The identity card number of the passenger will be printed on the ticket as well as on the Tatkal coach reservation charts. No refund is permissible against confirmed tickets issued under this scheme. The passengers booked under this scheme are required to carry the same identity card/credit card on which the Tatkal reservation has been obtained, as the same is checked by the checking staff during journey, failing which they will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged as per extent rules. At present the system has been introduced in certain selected trains only.
31

At present, the whole coach is not designated as Tatkal Coach. In each train, there is a 'Tatkal' quota in 2A, 3A, AC Chair Car and Sleeper Classes in the following manner.
2A 3A AC Chair Car SL
4 Berths per Coach 6 Berths per Coach 6 Seats per Coach 10% of the accommodation per coach
The trains, in which standard utilization of 'Tatkal' accommodation during six months period is 80% or above, the accommodation to be assigned under 'Tatkal' scheme would be in the subsequent manner.
2 AC 3AC AC Chair Car SL
10 Berths per Coach 16 Berths per Coach 16 Seats per coach 20% of the accommodation.
32
Apart from the above given lists, there will be no defined 'Tatkal' train. After offering the seats in 'Tatkal' quota, if any seats are left, then they will be released to the passengers' in the waiting list. The trains and classes with standard utilization of 80% or above (from Apr' to Sep') will be realized from regular 'Tatkal' charges that are applicable for the peak period. 'Tatkal' charges are provided as under:
TATKAL CHARGES Class Class Non-peak Season (15th July -15th Sep) Peak season (16th Sept 14th July) 2 AC 3 AC AC Chair car SL 200 200 75 75 300 300 150 150
According to a latest announcement by, Indian Railway minister Mamta Banerjee tatkal service by Indian Railways will be more commuter-friendly. Now on the passengers can avail of the new opportunity of booking their tickets for their exact destination. They will no longer need to spend extra money if their destination is before the final destination of the train. Earlier, they had no option but to pay for the entire route of the journey even though they traveled for a small distance only. Apart from this benefit for the railway passengers, there will be an increase in the number of seats in the general category. The tickets can be booked from 8am onwards and the booking can be made five days before the date of journey.
33

6.2 COUPON VALIDATING MACHINES(CVM) Both the Western and Central Railways have introduced a system to help passengers avoid long lines to buy tickets. They can opt for the coupon book, which contains various denominations of tickets. These coupons can be punched at the validating machines placed near ticket counters. The coupon books cost around Rs 30/- or Rs 50/-. Mumbai Local Trains Facts: 1. Trains do not run between 1:30 am and 4:30 am 2. There are fast and slow locals. 3. The fast locals stop only at the main stations and slow trains stop at all stations. 4. Electronic indicators at all stations provide information on train destinations and on whether the trains are fast or slow. 5. The ticket window clerk will also guide you about the platform from where you can get your train. 6. There are two class compartments available on all suburban trains: I and II class compartments. 7. Children under five years can travel free. Children under 12 are charged half the adult fare. 8. Trains stop at suburban stations for about 10 seconds, so make sure youre prepared in advance for boarding or getting out of the train. 9. There are special compartments available for ladies.
34
6.3 AUTOMATIC TICKET VENDING MACHINE- (SMART CARDS)
The modified scheme of Smart Cards for Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) was inaugurated by Shri E. Ahamed, Honble Union Minister of State for Railways at Chennai Egmore railway station today. The salient features of the scheme are as under. 1) The Smart Card is being issued for a minimum denomination of Rs.50/- with a security
deposit of Rs.30/- (previously Rs.50/-). 2) 3) The card is issued up to a maximum value of Rs.2000/-. Top-up/refill available in multiples of Rs.50/- up to a maximum of Rs.1000/-.
Presenting the Railway Budget for 2008-09 in the Lok Sabha today, the Minister of Railways, Shri Lalu Prasad announced availability of rail ticket, monthly season ticket and platform ticket on smart card in Mumbai Suburban Service.
This service would be launched by the end of next month. The Central Railways has already started trial run for this purpose through public-private partnership. The Railway Minister informed that the multipurpose card has been named Go Mumbai Card and sale of bus tickets of BEST on this card has already started. These cards will be available at stations, bus depots of BEST and various other locations in the city. He clarified that there would be no extra burden on passenger for buying tickets through the smart card. However, only a marginal fee would be payable on buying and recharging of the card.
35
1.) Top Up and Renewals
How to Get Going: Renewal of pass can be done 10 days in advance for Railways and 7 days in advance for BEST from the date of expiry without losing a day. Customer should maintain a minimum balance in the e-purse of smart card. Minimum balance depends upon the station where the entry validation is done. The longest fare from the entry point will be calculated as the minimum balance. Minimum balance will be different for class I and class II.
For Railway application, a onetime refundable deposit of Rs.15/- and non-refundable processing fee of Rs.10/- will be collected at the time of purchase of the card.
2.) Cost of Ownership
Subscription charges for BEST and Railway applications are given below:
Weekly BEST Railway Rs.2/NA
Fortnightly Rs.3/NA
Monthly Rs.5/Rs.5/-
Quarterly Rs.15/Rs.15/-
A charge of Rs.2/- per loading of Rs. 500/- or part there off, for money load (recharge) shall be levied. Service Tax and Education Cess, as applicable shall be collected by Kaizen.
36
3.) Refunds The customer can return the card at any authorized Service Delivery Point of Kaizen. The total un-utilized e-purse amount only will be refunded within 24 hours after proper verification. Customer cannot claim refund for pass amount, card issuance fee, subscription fee or identity card charge. A nominal administrative/processing fee of Rs.10/- would be deducted at the time of refund. A card not used for a period of 2 years shall be termed as a Dead Card. No refund of deposits or balance un-utilized e-purse amount shall be made on such cards.
4.) Conditions of usage Go Mumbai smart card is valid for 5 years. For only e-purse in the smart card identity card (BEST/Railway) is not required. Any Identity card (Railway/BEST) is valid for both Railway and BEST application. For any enquiries/complaints please visit any of Go Mumbai Service Delivery Points OR call Customer Service at +91-22-65139000 OR E-mail at helpdesk@kaizentransit.com
5.) Available Services For Best Application Type of Pass:
a.) Route Pass: Kilometer wise (From destination To destination) Max. 20 kms.
b.) City Limit Pass: Entire southern of Mumbai City, including Navy Nagar, R.C church up to Sion & Mahim and extending up to Anik Depot from Wadala B.P.T Quarters. This pass is valid for only Non-AC buses.
37

c.) Suburban Limit Pass: Entire area covering right from Sion & Mahim up to CBD Belapur, Thane & Bhayender (East), wherever BEST bus operation is in existence. This pass is valid for only Non-AC buses.
d.) Magic Non-AC Pass: This pass is valid for only Non-AC buses. For entire BEST operational area.
e.) Global AC Pass: This pass is valid for Regular AC and Non AC buses only and not on BRTS buses. For entire BEST operational area.
f.) Diamond Pass: This pass is valid on entire BEST operational area including BRTS buses.
g.) Student upto SSC Pass: This pass is valid on all Non-AC/Non-BRTS buses between school and residence only.
h.) Student upto HSC Pass: This pass is valid on all Non-AC/Non-BRTS buses between college and residence only.
a) BEST Duration Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, Annual passes are available in BEST.
Concessions Concessional rate are available for Senior Citizens excluding Students and Diamond passes.
b) Indian railways Duration Monthly, Quarterly seasons tickets are available in Railways. Concessions Concessions are not available in case of Railways. There are no weekly and fortnightly season tickets available in case of Railways.
38
i.) Using Go Mumbai Card With E-Purse And Season Ticket Facility In Mumbai Subarban Railways
1) Journey Ticket
For validating your smart card for daily tickets in railways, smart card with e-purse balance is to be shown to the validator while entering inside the platform. Within 4 hours the same smart card is to be shown again to the validator while exiting from the railway station.
Smart Card should have a minimum balance equivalent to the fare for the farthest station for the intended class of travel (I or II, as the case may be). Otherwise it will not be validated at the entry station. Kaizen has installed separate validators for first class and second class passengers inside the railway stations.
If the smart card is not shown twice within 4 hours as described above, the longest fare amount is deducted from the e-purse balance. For smart cards with only e-purse application, no photo identity card is required.
For Exit, smart card can be shown to any class of validator; the fare will be deducted depending upon the class of validator on which the smart was shown at Entry.
While exiting from the station, you can show the smart card in any type of validator (I or II), the epurse amount will be deducted depending upon on which type of validator you have shown your smart card while entering the station.
39
2) Season Ticket
Season ticket holder on Smart Card should not validate the card at entry and exit stations. He must handover the card to the ticket checker, on demand for inspection.
3) Journey Extension on Season Ticket
Smart card with valid season ticket and adequate e-purse balance should be validated at entry (class I or II) within the season ticket range and again once at the time of exit. He can also validate at entry (class I or II) at a station outside the season ticket range and exit at a station within the season ticket range. Only the fare for travel outside the scope of season ticket will be deducted from the e-purse.
4) Platform Ticket
Show the card on the validator while entering the station and again while exiting the same station within two hours of entry validation. Platform ticket fare will be deducted from the card.
If exit validation is done at the same station beyond two hours of entry validation then fare for the farthest station for the class of entry will be deducted.
It is advisable to do entry at II class validator if the card is used for platform ticket.
40

6.4 INDIAN RAILWAY ONLINE BOOKING Annexure 3, 4
Indian Railway is becoming technologically advanced and the fact that people can book their tickets online confirms the statement. The people who know how to access internet on computers, can easily get reservation done on the internet itself. Indian Railway Online Booking has certainly changed the system of reservation in India. The best thing about this service is that one can get reservation done, sitting at home before the computer.
One can book his/ her tickets at IRCTC's online reservation site (www.irctc.co.in). Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is a subsidiary or the marketing division of Indian Railways. IRCTC handles the programme of online ticket booking. On 3rd August 2002, the system of online reservation was launched in collaboration with the Centre for Railway Information Systems. Earlier, people used to stand in long queues before the counters at the reservation centers, but online ticket booking has made things easier to a great extent.
Though the queues at reservation counters are still lengthy, yet they are in a better condition than before. Those people, who don't have internet connection at home, can go to cyber cafes for the booking. In case the user has a bank account in the banks listed on the page, then just by debiting the bank account for the amount, one can also make the payment for the ticket. Not only this, Indian railway online ticket reservation can also be made by using credit cards
State Bank of India (SBI) makes a railway card, which is useful in online booking of tickets. In the vein of SBI, Federal Bank has also joined IRCTC to facilitate customers in online reservation by means of Fed Net principle. One can make reservations online by simply debiting the Federal Bank account from anywhere in India or abroad. Another advantage for customers of Federal Bank is their tickets are delivered without any charge.
Indian Railways Online Ticket Booking is also of immense help to the people who don't have much time. At the time of online reservation, one can see two types of tickets namely I-tickets and E-tickets that are offered. E-tickets are the electronic tickets offered by the Indian Railway. Once a
41

confirmed ticket appears on the screen, one can take a printout of the ticket. For heading towards journey, one is required to take the e-ticket along with an appropriate identity card.
I-tickets are actually Indian railway tickets that are required to be booked some days prior to the actual date of journey. These tickets can be availed after filling in the required data. I-tickets are sent to the address provided in the form. To avail this service, one has to pay a small fee including the courier charges. This service has made the system easier and people can get tickets at their doorsteps without any hassles.
CONCERT - (COUNTRY-WIDE NETWORK FOR COMPUTERIZED) ENHANCED RESERVATION AND TICKETING Developed by CRIS is a total networking solution to Indian Railways Passenger Reservation System. Indian Railways computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) currently operates from five regional centres located at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Secunderabad. CRIS was assigned the task of development and implementation of the new software incorporating networking for Indian Railways thereby interconnecting the five PRS centres. The new On-line Passenger Reservation System -CONCERT - developed using client-server model for distributed computing is a total solution to the networking of the PRSs. Thus PRS network of the Indian Railways will enable reservations in any train, date, or class, between any pair of stations to the travelling public on about 2000 terminals across the country. Under the network environment it is proposed to provide "Universal Terminals". Universal Terminals are those from where any reservation activity on network can be done transparently
42
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS INDIAN RAILWAYS PLANS LEAP INTO THE CYBER AGE
Indias state-owned railways, one of the largest and most profitable networks in the world, plan to leap from the steam to the cyber age with a budget aimed at advancing electronic ticketing and developing 50 world-class stations. Mamata Banerjee, new railways minister, who presented the budget to parliament on Friday, said the government and private partners would transform big terminuses, including Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore, to raise them to international standards with shopping, hotels and telecommunications. Indian Railways carries 20m passengers a day and employs 1.4m people. Many stations in big cities are overcrowded and largely uncontrolled, with many passengers camped on the platforms and beside the tracks. Deaths are an everyday occurrence. Ms Banerjee said the network would expand e-ticketing, introduce automated vending machines and issue SMS updates to travellers to confirm travel plans. Indian Railways would accelerate the development of its fibre-optic cable network for commercial uses, enlisting the leadership of Sam Pitroda, one of the leading minds behind Indias information technology revolution over the past 20 years. Everyone knows that India is changing and changing rapidly. Indian Railways has been trying to keep pace with this change ... [Indians] want better connectivity, more employment opportunities, Ms Banerjee said. To modernise its customer service, Indian Railways has already launched a successful internet and telephone booking system, and is considering the introduction of Japanese-style high-speed bullet trains. The rail network of 63,000km of track is supported by a 24-hour call centre service, used by about half a million callers a day. In spite of the improvements, trains and platforms pose a serious risk to travellers. Alongside the threat of collision and overcrowding, concerns over sanitation run high.
43

The minister has mooted a number of projects that will carry the railways to the next technology level, said Harsh Pati Singhania, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. He highlighted plans to develop retail at stations and equip passenger trains with entertainment services. Indias rail network is one of the few mixed traffic systems, carrying both passengers and freight, in the world that generates a cash surplus. It ranks alongside rail systems in the US and Canada as a cash generator. The network was forecast to earn revenues this year of $18.4bn (13.2bn, 11.3bn), up 10.6 per cent on last year, on expectations that travellers would shift to rail over air travel. One leading Delhi-based industrialist said railway ministers had learnt to leave the running of the railways to the operators and to limit their political interference to pet coach-building projects in their constituencies. Ms Banerjee, the leader of the Congress party-aligned Trinamool Congress, is expected to concentrate on ousting the Communists from power in her home state of West Bengal over direct management of railways. But others were less impressed. Akhileshwar Sahay, an executive at Feedback Ventures, an infrastructure company, was disappointed the budget made no serious attempt to adopt innovative financing measures to close the countrys infrastructure gap and encourage greater private sector participation. If India has to grow sustainably at 9 per cent, Indian Railways has to change its positioning from Train to nowhere to Train to somewhere, he said.
Copyright the Financial Times Limited 2009
44
6.5 TELE BOOKING SCHEME Rail Credit Card You can get Rail Credit Card, which is issued by Standard Chartered Bank for Delhi only, at present. The scheme will be extended to Bangalore, Chennai, Calcutta, Mumbai, Secunderabad and Ahemdabad in future. This Rail credit Card has all the features of a global credit card and is operated with secret Personal Identification Number (PIN). Many major travel companies like the Raj Travels do their booking via the telephone or even do online bookings. 6.6 INDIAN RAILWAY PNR PNR is an important number that is written on the top left corner of an Indian Rail Ticket. The abbreviation PNR stands for Passenger Name Record. Actually, PNR is a travel record of a person or a group of persons in the database of Computer Reservation System (CRS). In practical terms, PNR has five parts that are essential in order to get a booking done. The five parts or requisites of PNR number are as follows.

Passenger(s) Name Travel Agent's Contact Details Details of Ticket (could be a ticket number or ticketing time limit) Itinerary as a minimum of one segment that should be similar for all passengers listed. Person's Name, who makes the booking
After the completion of requirements, the CRS issues a unique alpha-numeric record locator that remains same in spite of any extra changes made. The online queries regarding PNR can be obtained from the Computerized Reservation Applications that are available for Public from 08:00 hrs to 20:00 IST on weekdays and from 08:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs IST on Sundays (these timings are prone to change without notification.
45
6.7 INDIAN RAILWAY MINISTER LAUNCHES MOBLIE TICKETING
46
47
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS CHAPTER 7 FREIGHT SERVICES

IR carry a huge variety of goods ranging from mineral ores, agricultural produce, petroleum, milk and vehicles. Ports and major urban areas have their own dedicated freight lines and yards. Many important freight stops have dedicated platforms and independent lines. Indian Railways makes 70% of its revenues and most of its profits from the freight sector, and uses these profits to cross-subsidise the loss-making passenger sector. However, competition from trucks which offer cheaper rates has seen a decrease in freight traffic in recent years. Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has switched from small consignments to larger container movement which has helped speed up its operations. Most of its freight earnings come from such rakes carrying bulk goods such as coal ,cement, foodgrains and iron ore Indian Railways also transports vehicles over long distances. Trucks that carry goods to a particular location are hauled back by trains saving the trucking company on unnecessary fuel expenses. Refrigerated vans are also available in many areas. The "Green Van" is a special type used to transport fresh food and vegetables. Recently Indian Railways introduced the special 'Container Rajdhani' or CONRAJ, for high priority freight. The highest speed notched up for a freight train is 100 km/h (62 mph) for a 4,700 ton load.
INDIAN RAILWAYS FREIGHT SERVICES

Indian Railways Freight Services are the most profitable services for Indian Railways. It is a huge service that covers the entire network of Indian Railways. Indian Railways carries a wide range of goods throughout its vast network, ranging from parcel traffic and small assignments, raw materials, agricultural products, petroleum products, garments, and other finished goods and many more. The Indian Railways Freight Services are quite economical, and at the same time, it can carry a large quantity at a time. Indian Railways Freight Services play a major role in the development of railway network in the country as it generate a huge amount of revenue. In fact,
48

freight services of Indian railways generate a good amount of surplus, which make up for the loss incurred for passenger services of IR. Indian Railways Freight Services are one of the economical ways to carry goods from one place to another, especially, if the quantity of the goods are large. Secondly, the network that the Indian Railways covers is huge. You can even reach the remote places through the railway network. The Carriers There are different types of rakes to carry your goods. A typical full rake consists of 40 BCN wagons (2200t), while the mini rake consists of 20 BCN wagons (1100t). Indian Railways is now concentrating on entire rake assignment, rather than going for small consignments or piecemeal freight, as it doesn't require to split the wagons going to or coming from different places, and hence is more profitable. For small consignments, there are Parcel Vans which are generally attached to passenger trains. The High-capacity Parcel Vans, known as Green Parcel Vans are used to carry fruits and vegetables. These types of parcel vans can carry 23 tones where as the ordinary parcel vans can carry 18t. Refrigerated Parcel Vans are also available on a few sections. These vans can accommodate 5t of frozen goods at -20 degree Celsius and 12t of chilled goods at 4 degree Celsius.
49
CHAPTER 8
INDIAN RAILWAYS SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES

Whenever a customer buys a service, he needs to be provided with relevant information. Since railways are service oriented or customer oriented, they need to provide a customer with information about is services, ticket fares, special trains during the holidays. All this is provided with the help of railway time tables, railway magazines, newspapers etc. They also have inquiry centers which help the customer obtain necessary information and confirm reservations.
The Indian Railways have strengthened their information systems continuously. Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) has been installed at 100 stations and is being extended to other stations, so that passengers can get Train Running position as well as Reservation status, on telephone. The number of incoming calls received in Delhi has increased from 50,000 to 1.25 lakhs per day on IVRS. There are 12.5 lakh hits on the Internet every day.
Indian Railways have implemented the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) where position of Trains Running on Real Time basis is fed to computers after every half an hour in 61 control offices all over the country. Thus, when a train starts from a starting station, position of its running is known, all over the country and is supplied to enquiries and IVRS. Continuous efforts are being made to improve quality of information.
Information is being given on cell phones in Kolkata and Delhi.
Availability of reservation and status is also being given on the Indian Railways website www.indianrail.gov.in. They are also planning to give train running position on this site in future.
50
PALACE ON WHEEL An extraordinary train for extraordinary people. A train with historic charm and modern conveniences. A royal train beckoning you to step aboard for a week of splendor. It takes you on a royal odyssey. Bringing alive the luxury of princely travel of the age of the Rajasthan. The Palace on wheels has been designed to suit modern needs with central air conditioning, shooting four channel music, interconnected telephone system in the train, a separate pantry and lounge in each coach, comfortable coupes with the privacy of attached bathrooms, two special bathrooms, two special restaurant - Maharaja and Maharani, serving exotic Indian, continental and Rajasthani cuisine, a well stocked bar, a reading and relaxing coach and friendly smiling attendants serving you round the clock.
51
8.1 CENTRE FOR RAILWAY INFORMATION SYSTEMS: In 1982, Government decided to set up a Freight Operations Information System (FOIS). Later in 1986, Ministry of Railways established the CENTRE FOR RAILWAY INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CRIS) - an umbrella for all computer activities on Indian Railways (IR). They also entrusted it with the task of design, development and implementation of the FOIS, along with its associated communications infrastructure. The Centre started functioning from July, 1987.It is an autonomous organization headed by Managing Director. CRIS is mainly a project oriented organization engaged in development of major computer systems on the Railways. CRIS has acquired special knowledge and expertise in the field of informatics. With such a rich practical experience, a dedicated team of professionals and its own R&D effort, CRIS aims to be a leader in this fast developing field. Indian Railways is one of the most advanced ministries in India, with an innovative and extensive IT environment. The following are the main projects that are handled by CRIS:

Passenger Reservation System (PRS) National Train Enquiry System (NTES) Internet Enquiries Booking of Tickets on Internet Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS)
In the case of road transportation, information is provided by the various travel agents, who indulge in these activities. The goods carrier companies also provide information about availability of vehicles, routes, capacity, applicable charges, taxes, etc through various mediums like print media; also the enquiry about the same can be done through telephone or even via internet.
52
8.2 CONSULTATION In railways, the inquiry centers also act as consultation centers which guide the customers. In roadways, travel agents provide consultation to the customers regarding the choice of vehicles, fare, etc.
8.3 ORDER TAKING The booking of the tickets by the railways if done face-to-face should be polite, fast and easy. Railways are now able to provide a better service since they have online booking facilities which help in reducing the service encounter with the customers. After the booking of the tickets, the reservations are confirmed. 8.4 HOSPITALITY AND CARETAKING When the journey is long, it is very important to provide facilities like washrooms, toilets, good and comfortable seat sat the platforms so that they can enjoy the whole journey. To improve the hospitality they need to prepare a flowchart of service delivery system because the journey doesnt end until the customer reaches the destination.
8.5 RETIRING ROOMS FACILITIES
Annexure 5
The Indian railway provides retiring rooms at many stations where passengers have an overnight halt or a halt for a few hours. These retiring rooms are air-conditioned rooms with one bed or 2 bed facilities. They even provide dormitory rooms. The best example of hospitality is the Palace on Wheels.
8.6 SAFE-KEEPING Indian railways provide enough space to take care of the customers luggage .The trains have space above the berths where the customers can keep their bags .There is also a disadvantage, because all the trains do not have these facilities. In case of trains carrying freight this is not the case, since the whole train is meant for the goods and has the necessary facilities.
53
INIDAN RAILWAYS CATERING AND TOURISM CORPORATION
INDIAN RAILWAY CATERING & TOURISM CORPORATION LTD (A Govt. of India Enterprise)
Formulation of New Policy of IRCTC:
IR has formulated a new catering policy in order to improve the standards of food being served in the trains and in the stationary units to generate more revenue. Under this policy, the catering contracts will now be given through an annual open tendering system, under the ownership of IRCTC. Previously, catering contracts were based on an application-based system. Often, an administrative extension would be granted to the incumbent. The rates used were not commercially contested.
With the new policy, as an example, an annual catering contract for an important train like Howrah-Kalka mail was awarded for Rs 83.6 lakh, when earlier it fetched Rs 5 lakh. After open competitive bidding, earnings have increased from Rs 13 crore to over Rs 100 crore due to mobile catering. On stationary catering, due to the open competitive bidding, as an example, the license fee at Bandra and Nagpur went up from Rs 78,000 and Rs 32,000 to Rs 16 lakhs and Rs 34 lakhs respectively. The pace of open bidding for stationary units has been slowed down since some of the incumbents have gone to courts to contest IRs move.
54
Exhibit 30 gives key statistics, including earnings from catering. As is evident, an increasing share of private participation and the consequent earnings from license fees.
Year
200102
200203 231
200304 234
200405 250
200506 257
200607 260
Total no of pairs of trains catered
228
Pairs of trains continuing as departmental
43
39
38
12
32
56
Static catering units (stations )
3152
3152
3152
9270
11,319
10,652
Sales turnover of departmental units (Rs 196 crore)
202
172
191
176
175
License fee (Rs crore)
23
26
29
51
84
116
IRCTC income (Rs crore)
37
42
76
55
56
CHAPTER 10
10.1 RECENT INITIATIVES FOR RAILWAYS

1. Special Railway Safety Fund (SRSF) A non-lapsable fund of Rs.17000 crores has been set up by the Government with effect from 1.10.2001 for replacement of overaged assets viz track, bridges, rolling stock, signaling gears and for some safety enhancement works. Over 16000 kms of track, 2700 bridges, 1500 signalling installations will be replaced, renewed or rehabilitated by 2007. These overdue assets had accumulated over the years for inadequate allotment from Depreciation Reserve Fund. 2. Anti-Collision Device (ACD) The indigenous development of Anti-Collision Device is a historic milestone for the Railways. It will unfold its full potential in the few years in conjunction with track circuiting and data-loggers. Extensive field trials of the revolutionary invention by Indian Railways have been successfully conducted from August, 2002 to January, 2003. The project is now at take- off stage. Provision and installation of ACD over 1750 Route Kms and ACD survey for 10,000 kms. have been included in the Budget proposals. The approximate cost is Rs.190 crores for already sanctioned and proposed works of ACD, of which work Rs.50 crores, over Northeast Frontier Railway is already approved. 3. Continuous Track Circuiting between Stations To facilitate detection of discontinuity of rail, rail fractures and cases of vandalism and sabotage, projects of continuous track circuiting costing about Rs.425 crores have been included in the Budget proposals for 2003-2004 on selected sections of A, B & C routes. This will be a major achievement, as at present only 1375 Route kms. are working with continuous track circuiting with automatic signalling system.
57
4. Introduction of tight lock Central Buffer Coupler and anti- climbing features on coaches Tight lock couplers are being introduced in place of screw couplers. In case of an accident, these couplers do not permit the coaches to separate and climb over each other and thus minimising casualties. In case of accidents, the anti-climbing property of these tight lock couplers almost eliminates the chances of a pileup such as the ones witnessed in the past in Firozabad, Gaisal, and Khanna accidents etc. 5. Disaster Management System The system of disaster management on the Railways has been in place for over 100 years. It has been thoroughly reviewed and a plan has been made out for total overhaul of the existing infrastructure and for mitigation of disaster. The recommendations made by the high-level committee have focused on adopting `Golden Hour' rule, augmenting Accident Relief Trains and Accident Medical Relief Vans, formation of crack rescue and relief teams and intensive training in Disaster Management. . 6. Empowering Safety Department Safety department has recently been empowered with `teeth' in deciding the administrative actions against the staff/officers causing accidents or committing safety- related failures. 7. Safety funds Indian Railways has started a new fund known as SAFETY SURCHARGE FUND from the ticket. In this small amount of your fare is transferred to the safety department. The money collected from this fund is utilized for various safety purposes like renovation and maintainance of tracks. In second class, out of the ticket fare, a surcharge of Rs1 is transferred to the safety department while in long distances a surcharge of Rs 10 is charged.
58
They also came out with a unique campaign known as SAFETY SAMVAD. In this public was made aware of the recent bomb blast happened in train and safety measures adopted by Indian Railway. Through public paintings and hoardings they made people aware of the steps to be taken to avoid any such incidents in future, thereby ensure customer safety. 8. Anti-Sabotage measures Following steps have been taken to reduce sabotage related accidents: (i)Development of anti-theft fitting Fastening. (ii) Elimination of fish-plated joints by welding of rails. (iii) Patrolling of track in the sections identified as sabotage prone, specifically on bridges, deep cutting, tunnels and their (iv) Burring fish-bolts on vulnerable sections. 9. Modernization of Bridge management system The bridge management system will be modernized in association with leading specialist agencies with emphasis on use of non-destructive testing equipment. Innovative and modern technologies for faster rehabilitation of bridges such as Helifix grouted steel anchors are being introduced, which do not require any speed restriction. Funds for rehabilitation of bridges have been increased from an annual average of Rs.59 crores prior to 2001 to Rs.310 crores in the year 2003-04. 10. Crashworthy coaches Indian Railways have embarked upon a project to make the passenger coaches crashworthy. This would ensure minimum risk to the travelling public even in case of the worst railway disaster. Coaches are being redesigned without any sharp corner in the interior, duly padding up vulnerable areas. Fifty-one modifications to coach interior have been adopted to minimize the chances of injury to passengers from sharp edges, corners or protrusions within the coach. Most of these modifications have already been adopted for new coaches. The periodic overhauling workshops approaches. important
59

will also adopt these modifications fully within next six months with the aim of modifying all coaches within next two years. In addition, to improve external crash worthiness of coaches, the coach bodies will be redesigned so that the coach ends take the full impact of the collisions and the entire impact will be dissipated in the non-passenger carrying areas. 11. Prevention of "roof travel" Quite often, roof travel had resulted in passengers falling off and succumbing in the process. Nine modifications have been carried out on the end walls of coaches to prevent passengers from climbing on to the roof. The passenger emergency alarm resetting valve has been lowered down to enable the train crew to reset the same without having to climb up. The ladder provided for doing so has also been removed as it was assisting the roof-top travelers. 12. Strengthening of Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force This will be done by recruiting over 3500 constables through RRBs during the year 2003-04. 13. Safety Organization Safety organization has been made broad-based. Earlier, Safety organization was manned mainly by officers of traffic department. Now it has also been decided to broaden the base of safety department, by opening it to five major disciplines on the Railways. 14. Display of reservation charts Recently a system has been developed for displaying the reservation charts of the train involved in an accident on website in order to pass on immediate status of passengers on board. This is the fastest means of communicating updated position of the passengers.
60
15. Introduction of ATMs
The Indian Railways have started Automated Teller Machines (ATM) from May 2002 on trail basis in CST. Through these machines you can confirm a season ticket without actually paying the cash. All you need is a credit card of State Bank of India. However, the performance of these machines isnt quite satisfactory. The machine has connecting problems and it hangs.
16. Introduction of Vending Machines
From 15 August 2003, Indian Railways have also started a Coin Operated Vending Machine only in CST which is only for platform ticket. In this you can get a ticket by depositing the exact fare of the platform ticket through coin.
17. Reduction In Travel Time
From 1 July 2003 they have taken steps to reduce the travel time. Whereby, they have increased the speed of the train and also reduced the halt time at every station by 3 seconds.
61
10.2 INDIA'S PRIDE - THE RAJDHANI EXPRESS SHATABDI TRAINS AND JAN SHATABDI TRAINS
The RAJDHANI EXPRESS - India's superfast, fully air conditioned, deluxe trains give you the unique opportunity of experiencing Indian Railways at its best. Afternoon snacks and tea are offered after the trains begin their journey. Indian and continental cuisine, soft music and the train's rhythmic movements provides a comfortable journey. The trains link New Delhi (the capital or Rajdhani) to India's major cities.
RESERVATION RULES
Important - for Senior Citizens :- From 1st September 2001 onwards, concession to senior citizens through PRS (Passenger Reservation System) shall be granted only on demand and not by default as at present. The demand for concession shall be made on Reservation Requisition form in the case of reserved tickets. In the case of tickets issued to senior citizens on concession, during journey the concerned passengers are instructed to carry some documentary proof showing their age or date of birth, issued by any Government Institution/Agency/Local Body. like Identity card, Driving License, Passport, Educational certificate, certificate from Local Bodies like Panchayat/Corporation/Municipality, or any other authentic and recognised document. This documentary proof of age should be produced if demanded by some Railway official during the journey. General Conditions: - The Railway Administration reserves seats, berths, compartments, or carriage in accordance with the rules and conditions published in the Coaching Tariff. A passenger seeking reservation of berth or seats should purchase tickets from the Railway Reservation Offices/Authorised Travel Agency only. Advance reservations are made generally up to 60 days in advance for all classes and all trains. The period of advance reservation (ARP) is exclusive of the day of departure of the train.
62

At intermediate stations where the train arrives on the following day, such reservations can be done more than 60 days in advance of date of journey from the intermediate station. ARP is in relation to the date of journey from train originating station. In case of some Inter-city day trains, the ARP is less. An individual can book only up to six passengers on one requisition form provided all passengers are for the same destination and for the same train. Only one requisition form is accepted from a person at one time. However, if onward/return journey are involved, 2 or 3 forms can be accepted for the same passengers. Accommodation will not be reserved without purchase of necessary journey ticket. No reservation of accommodation will be made on provisional basis. When berths are reserved for passengers, the intention is to provide sleeping accommodation between 9 PM to 6 AM. During 6 AM to 9 PM, the passengers concerned, if required make room for other passengers in compartment up to its carrying capacity. Passengers are requested to quote PNR number which is printed on each tickets on the top left hand side for any enquiry or complaint relating to reservations. Reservation ticket issued by the computerised system against pre-bought ticket must be accompanied by the journey tickets on train. Similarly journey cum reservation tickets bearing zero amount are not valid for journey unless accompanied by the valid authority to travel authorising issue of such tickets. Allotment of accommodation is done by the computer as per pre-defined logic. Efforts are made to provide compact accommodation to persons booked under the same PNR on first come first served basis. The Railway Administration will endeavour to provide reserved accommodation but does not guarantee the same and will admit no claim for compensation for inconvenience, loss or extra expense due to such accommodation including carriages, not being provided or reserved carriage
63

not been attached to a particular train. The supply of any particular type of carriage or the provision of a particular berth and seat is also not guaranteed. Departure time printed on the ticket is indicative for the guidance of the passengers. Passengers must ascertain correct timings from the Railway station on the day of journey. Such tickets are printed up to 60 days in advance. Any changes in timing after the issue of ticket can not be advised. While every endeavour is made to advise changes in Time Table by due publicity, Railway Administration shall not be liable for any claim/compensation if a passenger misses a train on this account. Transfer/resale of tickets prohibited: Under Section 142 of the Railways ACT, journey tickets including any half of a return ticket and season ticket are not transferable. If any person not being a Railway Servant or an agent authorised in this behalf : a. sells or attempts to sell any ticket or any half of a return ticket, or b. parts or attempts to part with the possession of a ticket against which reservation of a seat or a berth has been made or any half of a return ticket or season ticket. He shall be punishable under the Railways Act. In addition, if the purchaser or holder of transferred ticket travels or attempts to travel therewith, he shall forfeit the ticket which he so purchased or obtained and shall be deemed to be travelling without a proper ticket. Payment through credit cards: Payment through credit cards for issue of reserved tickets is accepted on some nominated counters of computerised locations in India. In Northern Railway these counters are at IRCA, Reservation
64

Office, New Delhi, Delhi Jn., Sarojini Nagar, Kirti Nagar and Karkadooma and the computerised reservation office, Lucknow . All Master Cards and Visa Cards are accepted. RESERVATION FEE AND SUPPLEMENTARY CHARGES ON SUPERFAST TRAINS: The reservation fee and supplementary charge on superfast train are as under:
CLASS AC Ist AC 2 Tier Ist (Mail/Express) Ist (Ordinary) AC - 3 Tier AC Chair Car Sleeper (Mail/Express) Second Sitting
RESERVATION FEE Rs. 35 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 20
SUPPLEMENTARY SUPERFAST TRAINS Rs. 50 Rs. 30 Rs. 30 -Rs. 30 Rs. 30 Rs. 20
CHARGES
FOR
(Mail/Express) Sleeper (Ordinary) Second (Ordinary) Sitting
Rs. 15
Rs. 10
Rs. 20
--
Rs. 15
--
65
REVISION OF RESERVATION FEE:

The cluster stations definition is now suspended. The system of issuing BPTs (Blank Paper Tickets) is now disabled.
1. For travel by all trains except Rajdhani,Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi Express trains,the revised reservation fee,leviable on tickets booked for journeys originating from other then the ticket booking station is shown below.
CLASS
Existing Fee Rs. 35 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 25 Rs. 20 Rs. 15
Reservation
Enhanced Reservation Fee for journeys originating from a station other than the one from where ticket has been issued Rs. 50 Rs. 40 Rs. 40 Rs. 40 Rs. 40 Rs.30 Rs.25
AC Ist AC 2 Tier AC - 3 Tier First AC Chair Car Sleeper Second Sitting
66

2. For travel by Rajdhani,Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi Express trains,also ,the increase in
reservation Fee will be applicable on ticket issued for journeys originating from other than the ticket booking stations. The additional reservation fee for such tickets,to be addedd additional in the basic fares shown in Passenger Fare Table,is shown below :
CLASS
Additional reservation fee to be charged in total chargeable fares
Rajdhani Express trains AC First AC 2-Tier AC 3-Tier AC Chair Car Shatabdi Express trains Executive AC Chair Car Rs. 20 Rs. 20 Rs. 20 Rs. 20 Rs. 20 Rs. 20
Jan Shatabdi Express trains Second AC.Chair Car Rs. 15 Rs. 20
1. Military Officers travelling on free warrants, officers and staff of the Railway and P&T department travelling on Railway passes and MPs travelling on Identity Card are exempted from payment of reservation fee. 2. The supplementary charge is not recoverable from MPs travelling on Identity Card, tourist holding Indrail passes, Railway Staff travelling on duty passes, privilege passes and PTOs. 3. A passenger found travelling in a Super Fast Train without paying supplementary charge is liable to pay a penalty of Rs. 50/- in addition to the supplementary charge. However, passenger holding through ticket duly fulfilling distance restriction and boarding a superfast train at an intermediate station as per the ticket, is required to pay only the supplementary charge.
67
INDICATION OF BERTH/SEAT NUMBERS: Passengers with confirmed reservation will be allotted berths at the time of booking and the coach and berth numbers are indicated on the ticket itself, except in case of first class ACC and first class coaches. The compartment/cabin/coupe numbers for first ACC and first class are allotted at the time of chart preparation. RESERVATION AGAINST CANCELLATION (R.A.C.): The passengers whose names figure under R.A.C., are provided reserved sitting accommodation initially and are likely to get berths becoming vacant due to last minutes cancellation of reservation of passengers not turning up in time before the departure of the train,. CANCELLATION OF RESERVATION DUE TO LATE ARRIVAL OF PASSENGER: If a passenger, for whom a berth or seat has been reserved, does not turn up up to 10 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train, the Railway Administration may cancel the accommodation reserved for him and allot it to the passenger on the RAC list/Waiting list accordingly on priority. CHANGE OF BOARDING POINT :- If a passenger desires to occupy reserved accommodation from any station enroute, he would be permitted to entrain at any intermediate station he chooses irrespective of the distance from the starting station subject to the following conditions :i. A specific request must be made in writing at the station from where the ticket is purchased and reservation made atleast 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train from the starting station. ii. The Railway Administration reserves the right to use such accommodation from the originating station up to the station at which the passenger is due to entrain. iii. No refund will be permissible for the portion of journey not performed by the passenger.
68
CHAPTER 11 SUGGESTIONS
After an in depth analysis of the Railway Sector, a few steps that can be taken in order to improve the existing service levels and integrate into logistical service providing firms. They shall prove to be beneficial not only to the service provider, but also to the customers at large.
Increase in the number of superior quality of trains furnished with modern amenities and
facilities.
Introduction of new design of bodies for trains maintaining the safety provisions and adequate
accommodation.
Expansion of insurance facilities to both the goods and passengers transportation services.
Making provisions for civic amenities and facilities at the railway stations.
Behavioral training to the front line staff to make them aware of the instrumentality of
behavioral management in promoting the business.
Offering a package during a particular season keeping in view the needs and requirements of
different segments of users.
Cushioned seats for more comfort to the travelling passengers.
Intensifying the safety provisions and strengthening the protective measures to protect the
passengers, trains against robbery and snatching. The railway bogies should be maintained well and kept clean and hygienic, especially the washrooms.
69
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS RECOMMENDATIONS

The root cause of financial problem confronting the Indian Railways is found in lack of adequate productivity increases There are commensurate with real wages over time. Indian Railways has to modernize and expand its capacity to serve the emerging needs of the growing economy. Indian Railways has to adopt a strategic perspective to achieve high growth in both the passenger and freight segments. Along with achievement of higher growth the Indian Railway will have to explore every avenue of reduction in costs. The Expert Group has made detailed projections for the potential of passenger traffic and revenue growth Among the possible investment strategies the panel has favored a .High Growth Strategy .which will require focused remunerative investment and corresponding organizational restructuring of Indian Railway internally and in relationship with government, including corporatization. Higher profitability in freight segment through a long term strategy of improved speed of freight trains, up-gradation of rolling stock, specific commodity related investment, improved signaling and communication, setting up additional container depots, rationalization of the freight rates structure to remove distortions. Unremunerative investments must be stopped. The key challenge for Indian Railway in the passenger traffic segments is to maintain its obligations on low price services while at the same time increasing both capacity and utilization in upper classes, through a strategy for higher growth in traffic as well as appropriate tariff rebalancing. The Government of India should be in charge of setting policy direction. Indian Rail Regulatory Authority (IRRA) should be set up to regulate tariffs. Indian Railways must eventually be corporatized into .Indian Railways Corporation. (IRC). Indian Railways Corporation (IRC) would be governed by a reconstituted Indian Railways Executive Board (IREB). The restructuring of Indian Railways will require massive investment.
70
CONCLUSION:
Indian Railways is one of the biggest employers in India and second largest rail network in the world. Indian Railways provides various types of services to its passengers and a successful Public Limited Organization. Indian Railways has tried to reach the remote areas of our vast country but is successful in some areas. Also it integrates the different services to provide the best services to the customers. As Indian Railways is a Public Limited government Organization the main aim is to provide service and satisfy people and profit earning. Indian has introduced various machines i.e.; CVM, ATVM etc with the help of technology to cope up with the increasing population of our country. Indian Railways has expanded itself to a great extent during the last one or two decade. Indian Railways has been facing various challenges regarding the safety and security of the passengers and the property of the Railways and still has overcome as the backbone of the country.
71
SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.indianrailway.gov.in www.thisismyindia.com www.railtourismindia.com http://www.indianrail.gov.in/resrules.html http://www.indianrail.gov.in/tatkal.html http://www.indianrail.gov.in/refund_rules.html http://www.irctc.co.in http://irctc.co.in/irctc_menu.html www.Wikipedia.com http://trainenquiry.com/StaticContent/Other%20Information/pantry_superfast.aspx http://irctc.co.in/iticketGuide.html e-mail: care@irctc.co.in http://irctc.co.in/eticketsguide.html www.google.co.in
Indian Railways- A success and a challenge of 20 years R. Raghuram-
Newspaper Articles: 1. Hindu Times 2. Financial Times

(vi)
72

ANNEXURE 1
The headquarters of Indian Railways in New Delhi
ANNEXURE 2
A ticket reservation office in Guntur Division.
73
ANNEXURE 3
An Indian Railway Ticket from Chennai to Vijayawada by Howrah Mail
ANNEXURE 4
Internet Booking or Oniline booking
74
ANNEXURE 5
Restroom Facility at Railway Stations
(vii)
75
76

Servicers Provided by Indian Railways

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Servicers Provided by Indian Railways

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Servicers Provided by Indian Railways

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS CHAPTER 1

1.1 HISTORY OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

1.2 INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.3 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.4 DIVISION OF INDIAN RAILWAYS Annexure 1

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

Mumbai, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur

East Central ECR

ECoR April 1, 2003 Bhubaneswar

Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda

April 1, 2003 Allahabad

Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi

Izzatnagar, Lucknow, Varanasi

Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur

Alipurduar, Katihar, Lumding, Rangia, Tinsukia

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

April 14, 1952 Delhi

Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow, Moradabad

Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Guntakal, Guntur, Nanded, Vijayawada

SECR April 1, 2003 Bilaspur, CG

Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur

SWR April 1, 2003 Hubli

Hubli, Bengaluru, Mysuru

April 14, 1951 Chennai

Chennai, Madurai, Palakkad, Salem, Tiruchchirapalli, Thiruvanathapuram

West Central WCR April 1, 2003 Jabalpur

Jabalpur, Bhopal, Kota

Mumbai Central, Vadodara, Ratlam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.5 PROFILE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

Industry: Services: Revenue: Employees: Parent: Divisions:

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

And their daily transport output is approximately:

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.6 INDIAN RAILWAY FACTS

First Passenger Train Ran On:

16th April 1853 (between Bombay to Thane)

First Railway Bridge:

Dapoorie Viaduct on the Mumbai-Thane route

First Rail Tunnel: First Ghats Covered by the Rail lines:

Parsik Tunnel Thal and Bhore Ghats

First Underground Railway:

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

System started in:

Longest Station Name:

Longest Railway Platform in the Kharagpur (2,733 ft in length) World:

Longest Railway Bridge:

Nehru Setu on Sone River (10044ft in length)

On Konkan Railway between Monkey hill & Khandala (6.5 km)

Oldest Preserved Locomotive: Gauges of Track:

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

Train with Maximum Number of Howrah-Amritsar Express (115 halts) Halts:

Trains without Commercial Halts:

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS 1.7 IMPORTANCE OF RAIL TRANSPORT IN INDIA

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS CHAPTER 2

PEST ANALYSIS - INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS