Passengers get first class treatment

Many amenities in booking and food selection, especially for senior citizens

GN Bureau | February 26, 2015


#railways   #budget   #suresh prabhu   #passengers   #amenities   #tickets   #booking  

After computerization of ticket booking that was a big relief to passengers, railway minister Suresh Prabhu took another big leap in passengers’ amenities on Thursday.

These cover normal to differently abled passengers and may make travelling bit bearable as there are no new trains in the budget document. The commoner will be happy with better ticketing facilities like long duration booking and e-catering. The helpline number for any complaint is welcome move but its effectiveness will speak more.

READ:
Almighty Prabhu and five-point action plan to rescue the railways

Senior citizens:  Increased quota for lower berths for the elderly while middle bay of coaches will now be reserved for senior citizens and women. This will avoid unnecessary hassle faced by the elderly, who sometimes get upper berths which cannot be accessed by them. Online booking of wheelchair facility at stations for the invalid, senior citizens, disabled and pregnant women.

Ticket booking: From April, tickets can be booked four months in advance as against two months period in force now.  On unreserved tickets front the 'Operation Five Minutes' scheme allows booking in five minutes and also five minutes before the departure of the train through smart phones and debit cards.  Hand-held devices with Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) will help in better ticketing at platforms and inside the train.

READ: No passenger fare hike,Prabhu gives ticket to amenities

SMS alerts: Introduction of an SMS alert service to inform passengers of updated arrival and departure times of trains will save time and money for passengers, especially in big cities.

Differently-abled friendly:  Concessional e-tickets for differently-abled  travellers after one-time registration. New coaches will be braile-enabled to help the visually-challenged passengers navigate.

Helpline: A 24X7 helpline number, 138, will become functional to attend to the problems of passengers on a real time basis. Passengers will be able to call up for complaints while on trains.

Booking of retiring rooms: Facility of self-operated lockers would also gradually be made available at stations.  Online booking of disposable bedrolls at select stations is being extended to all passengers through the IRCTC portal on a payment basis.

Other facilities for the passengers: Nine more high-speed trains, faster existing trains, Wi-Fi in 400 stations, user-friendly ladders to mount upper berths,  17,000 bio-toilets in trains, and cameras for safety of women travelers, coin vending machines and 'single destination teller' windows, lifts and escalators at major stations to concierge service at select stations on the anvil.

Comments

 

Other News

Cyber frauds helpline has helped save Rs 930 crore

Since its inception, Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System has witnessed more than 12.77 lakh complaints registered (till November 15, 2023), and has saved more than Rs. 930 crore in more than 3.80 lakh complaints. This was stated by minister of state for home affair

COP28 discusses climate resilient development in Himalayas

Impacts and implications of Climate Change Vulnerability in the Himalayan Region and ways of creating ‘Climate Resilient Development in Indian Himalayan Region by making mountain communities green and resilient were discussed the side event hosted at the India pavilion at the UN Climate Conference CO

Air Pollution: What needs to be done to tame the silent killer

Air pollution in Delhi has been in headlines, as every year in recent times. Mumbai too has suffered from air pollution, despite being a coastal city. Apart from many other metros such as Bangalore and Kolkata, tier-I and -II cities and rural areas also have high pollution levels. Every year reports and st

Free food grains for 81.35 cr beneficiaries for five years

The central government will provide free food grains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for a period of five years with effect from January 1, 2024, the cabinet decided on Wednesday. Terming it as a “historic decision”, a

“I wrote ‘Survival at Stake’ to provide food for thought about solutions”

Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence By Poorva Joshipura HarperCollins, 328 pages, Rs 499 With science now recognising animal consciousness, intelligence, emotion, and even morality, there must rise an awareness of

‘Bon Voyage’ through the Arctic: Exploring new horizons for India

India`s tryst with trade through the Arctic regions, including the Northern Sea Routes (NSR), has become an impact-making endeavor recently. The Arctic of yore is now a pivot – point of geopolitics, of climate change discussions, and for economic opportunities; 40% of oil and gas reserves said to be

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter