Suggestions to Make Railways Better

1. Some method of making boarding easier for senior citizens and differently abled - currently climbing on board is quite difficult for them due to steep height difference between platform and train interior. Maybe a motorized option on one of the doors?
2. Wider internal corridor space so that people are not forced to jostle each other or get their faces kicked by sleeping passengers in the dark. Maybe eliminate side berths all together in order to make this a reality. Wider and longer berths so that feet do not stick out into the corridor. Wider aisle would also make it possible for wheelchair bound travelers to use our train system.
3. Major overhaul of bathroom design - current design was done by the British for the serfs and vernaculars as they called us. It is about time that as a nation we respected our own citizens and provide them with roomier bathrooms which are hygienic and clean. Do take a look at those provided by the British in their trains now.
4. Why not have a housekeeping team on all trains travelling with passengers to ensure trains and bathrooms are maintained clean and hygienic? Just like we have onboard catering we could have on board housekeeping. This could be outsourced for efficiency and maintenance of standards.
5. Allot a seat or berth for child / half ticket case. Let us treat our children and fellow passengers also with respect.
6. Do effective pest control of sleeper berths to avoid bed bugs and other creepy crawlies nesting.
7. Provide drinking water dispensers on each coach - we are a tropical country and need this as a basic requirement.
8. Provide garbage collection and handling in each coach which is more efficient and effective than the current inadequate design.
9. Provide food trolley system for vestibule trains with food service (this will be possible once coaches are redesigned for better aisle and toilet). Currently these are placed on the dirty floor between the two toilets or the vestibule space and distribution carried out! It is disgusting to see.
10. Manage the air-conditioning cooling with a better and automatic feedback loop. Explore the concept of adiabatic evaporating cooling with 100% cooled fresh air distribution that is healthier and does not distribute pathogens to all. Current system either does not cool effectively or freezes as well as shares pathogens to all. Every time one has to hunt for the attendant to get it rectified. any manual intervention is error prone or fraught with operational issues. The cooling system could be ceiling based or under-slung or mounted on a separate rake - one for every three compartments etc. Design details need to be worked out. more