Indian Railway: Solutions to simple problems
There is a big debate on the rail fare hike.As a common man,I welcome it due to two reasons
a) the funds are required for the railways
b) it doesnt impact me because I do not travel by train because I do not get tickets even if i try to book 3 months in advance.If I get it,the berths are torn,there are cockroaches and rats,the loo stinks,there are too many beggers and hawkers,the train is late and too slow and doesnt serve my purpose.
So how can you help the common man
a) Please provide good trains ( new rakes,well maintained coaches)..learn from Eurostar,Transitalia etc.see the quality of the train and services provided.
b) Please finish doubling of tracks,electrification of tracks etc.currently the average speed of trains is 40 kmph..
c) Please install latest engines in trains so that we can have faster travelling..
d) Please update the signalling system to the latest one for the safety of passengers
e) Please have sufficient force of TTE and Railway police,who can prevent beggars,hawkers etc and ensure safety of the passengers.
f) Please have strict action taken against ticketless travellers,travellers who get into AC compartmetns with 2nd class tickets etc
g) Please use agencies like Mckenzie etc to do proper train route optimization.Eg.There are 5 trains from Bangalore to Kerala on thursday which run at 40% occupancy,while the two trains on friday run at 100% occupancy,still leaving ample scope for the 100+ volvo buses to run at 100% occupancy.Just moving one train to friday will ensure that too runs at 100% occupancy.Special trains are announced late,they run in the opposite direction than required and make losses due to the lobby of bus operators.
eg: for festivals,when people want to visit their native village,the train is launched from their native village to metro cities..it runs almost empty..
h) Please have software to change fares on demand vs supply like airfare prices.Fares should be higher on weekends and holidays.
i) Premium trains for those who are ok to pay.for ex: bangalore to cochin 3rd ac ticket sleeper is rs 600 while people are willing to pay 1700 for a volvo semi sleeper..if Railway can provide service at 1200,people will lap it up.
j) Please limit free travel for babus..let those tickets go to the common man.
k) please upgrade sites of irctc and make booking easier and faster.in foreign countries,there are unmanned counters at major locations where you can buy tickets easily.. more
a) the funds are required for the railways
b) it doesnt impact me because I do not travel by train because I do not get tickets even if i try to book 3 months in advance.If I get it,the berths are torn,there are cockroaches and rats,the loo stinks,there are too many beggers and hawkers,the train is late and too slow and doesnt serve my purpose.
So how can you help the common man
a) Please provide good trains ( new rakes,well maintained coaches)..learn from Eurostar,Transitalia etc.see the quality of the train and services provided.
b) Please finish doubling of tracks,electrification of tracks etc.currently the average speed of trains is 40 kmph..
c) Please install latest engines in trains so that we can have faster travelling..
d) Please update the signalling system to the latest one for the safety of passengers
e) Please have sufficient force of TTE and Railway police,who can prevent beggars,hawkers etc and ensure safety of the passengers.
f) Please have strict action taken against ticketless travellers,travellers who get into AC compartmetns with 2nd class tickets etc
g) Please use agencies like Mckenzie etc to do proper train route optimization.Eg.There are 5 trains from Bangalore to Kerala on thursday which run at 40% occupancy,while the two trains on friday run at 100% occupancy,still leaving ample scope for the 100+ volvo buses to run at 100% occupancy.Just moving one train to friday will ensure that too runs at 100% occupancy.Special trains are announced late,they run in the opposite direction than required and make losses due to the lobby of bus operators.
eg: for festivals,when people want to visit their native village,the train is launched from their native village to metro cities..it runs almost empty..
h) Please have software to change fares on demand vs supply like airfare prices.Fares should be higher on weekends and holidays.
i) Premium trains for those who are ok to pay.for ex: bangalore to cochin 3rd ac ticket sleeper is rs 600 while people are willing to pay 1700 for a volvo semi sleeper..if Railway can provide service at 1200,people will lap it up.
j) Please limit free travel for babus..let those tickets go to the common man.
k) please upgrade sites of irctc and make booking easier and faster.in foreign countries,there are unmanned counters at major locations where you can buy tickets easily.. more
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The trains to Mysore run late. The one to reach Mysore at 7 p.m. recently reached at 11.30 pm. It is likely that the authorities are either indifferent or deliberately doing it to bring bad name to the new Railway Minister who is the M.P. from Bengaluru Central ! more
Jun 24
Yes there are lots of things below our expectations with the railways as they are run currently. Making railways efficient is not easily done but will require a holistic approach with a tight focus on customer. A re-look at all processes keeping customer in the centre will enable reworking of processes to become more customer oriented and friendly. Only then can customer perception be improved and the customer made to willingly pay more for services delivered. This in turn will assist in raising more resources for the railways and start the positive cycle of investment - better service, improved customer satisfaction and so on. In parallel a hard look has to be taken regarding manpower. The business today is not seen as a business but a political vehicle for adding more people into employment whether it is required or not, moving resources and capital where it is politically motivated to move etc without any regard for efficiency or quality of service delivered. Paring the workforce carried presently will ensure better pay to the ones remaining and initiate a pay for performance atmosphere which can only bode well for management and organizational efficacy. What I have outlined above is not specific to railways alone but true for all organizations not operating at optimum performance levels. Expecting everything in the world around us to change favorable drastically because of the new Modi Government is to my mind setting them up for failure. Hoping that they would be able to initiate some steps in the right direction such as the methodology of working and going about business as usual as outlined using the railways as an example above would be very fruitful and we will see its impact ongoing into the future. more
Jun 24
make an effort to bring money from swiss bank is good ,but in my view more money can be drown from all our temple by netionalising them. more
Jun 23
last but the easiest..please change the names of trains like Garib Rath and Duronto.. also please work on a) bullet trains for faster travelling b) dedicated goods corridor c) mechanized handling of goods to avoid damage and save time d) converting the railway stations to proper commercial complexes to earn revenue e) better use of the land available with railways at various sites f) re draw the railway zones to avoid political disruption to development g) people entering station should be screened via metal detectors and x ray checks for baggages to avoid blasts etc The aim of railway should be to provide comfortable and faster travel at economical rates..we cannot keep expanding our roads everytime.. more
Jun 23
