Indian Railways constantly strive to provide better services to its vast set of customers through proper planning and system improvements on a continuous and an ongoing basis depending upon customer feedback, operational feasibility and financial viability. Various initiatives are taken from time to time by different departments of Railways to improve customer convenience.
In order to cater to the diverse needs of passengers, there has been a continuous expansion of various on-board and off-board services ensuring greater choice and variety to the customers. With respect to ticketing, the online and offline ticketing facilities have been continuously diversified, augmented and proliferated to provide services in a transparent, accountable and user –friendly manner. Streamlining of Computerised Passenger Reservation System has been done to improve passenger convenience. Indian Railways have undertaken new initiatives like introduction of Alternate Trains Accommodation Scheme called ‘VIKALP’. Initiatives like SMS based Alerts have been introduced to disseminate timely information to passengers in the event of booking, cancellation, status up gradation, delay etc. Various passenger facilities/ amenities like, lifts, escalators, toilets, battery operated vehicles, wheel chairs, waiting rooms, Foot over Bridge etc. are being extended to more and more stations.
Special emphasis is being given to improve cleanliness and hygiene on stations by introduction of Mechanized cleaning, awarding of Ragpicking and/or garbage disposal contracts, proliferation of pay and use toilets, use of CCTV for monitoring cleanliness etc. Railways have proliferated discharge-less Bio-Toilets in coaches, along with Onboard Housekeeping services at important trains. Certain initiatives like ‘Coach Mitra’ service, Clean Train Station (CTS) scheme, mechanized laundries etc are introduced for better services in trains.
New Train-set Vande Bharat and premium train services like Humsafar, Tejas, Antyodaya, Utkrisht Double Decker Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY), Mahamana and coaches like Deen Dayalu and Anubhuti, with upgraded interiors / exteriors and improved passenger amenities, have been introduced in service in various trains. IR has also launched Project Utkrisht in order to improve the condition of ICF type coaches running in Mail / Express trains.
Simultaneously various system improvements for freight services like computerization of Parcel service through Parcel Management system, Electronic registration of demand (e-RD), paperless Electronic Transmission of Railway Receipt (eT-RR) and digital payments through Debit/Credit card using POS machine along with other online facilities have been implemented.
However changes in system improvements for provision of better services in the Railways is a continuous and ongoing process.
This information was given by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
