According to the company, the App will allow customers to book and cancel tickets by using debit cards, credit cards and e-wallets, check PNR status, train information, timings, routes, seat availability and several other services on their JioPhones.
"Available on the Jio App Store, the JioRail app also allows Tatkal booking for any last minute travel plans," the company said in a statement.
"If a user does not have an IRCTC account, the app also allows them to create an account and then proceed for the required ticket booking. With JioRail, users can also check the PNR status for tickets booked through the app. The app also plans to offer enhanced services like PNR status change alerts, locate train and food ordering in future."
[With IANS Inputs]
With the increase of washing frequency, service life of blankets will also be reduced to two years from the existing four years while the pricing is expected to almost double.
According to the revised specifications, the new blankets will be a mix of woolen and nylon to make smelly blankets a thing of the past for AC passengers though it is expected to cost double from the existing price.
The heavy woolen blankets currently in the use cost about Rs 400 and with the change in fabric, new pricing will be decided shortly, said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the task of introducing regular washable blankets for train travellers across the country.
Since the pricing of the blankets has not been revised in the last 10 years, the new ones with changed specifications are expected to cost more than the prevailing rate.
Plagued with complaints of dirty blankets, the Indian Railways was forced to firm up an action plan to increase the frequency of washing blankets and replace the existing ones in a phased manner.
The railways need about 3.90 lakh blankets daily for its AC passengers across the country. While AC 1st class passenger get a changed blanket cover after every use, the facility is not available for the AC IInd and IIIrd class travellers.
"These blankets with revised specifications should be washed preferably twice in a month subject to available capacity and logistics arrangements. In case of capacity constraints washing should be done minimum once in a month," according the order issued by the railways to all zones.
Based on field experience, washing frequency and life of blankets with revised specifications may be reviewed further after about one year, it further said.
Besides, used blankets would be sanitised on a regular basis before being given for further use.
Though the directive is to wash the blankets every one or two months, a CAG report had recently highlighted the unhygienic condition of blankets which were not washed for even six months.
The Railways has also undertaken steps to set up state-of-the-art mechanised laundries at many stations to cater to the increased requirement of daily washing of bedrolls, including blankets.
Our aim is to provide washed blankets along with fresh linen in trains for "each journey," the official said adding: "Efforts are on for improvement of linen management to arrange clean, hygienic and good quality linen to passengers travelling in AC classes."
Currently, about 3.90 lakh sets of linen are provided per day comprising two bedsheets, a towel, pillow and blanket for each passenger in the AC classes.
There are about 50 mechanised laundries operational at the moment and 10 more will be opened shortly.
The face towels given to the passengers travelling in air-conditioned coaches will now be replaced with cheaper, smaller, disposable, takeaway napkins, according to an order issued by the Railway Board.
The railway is now focussing on making the travel experience better for the passengers, PTI reported. Months after ordering all the zones to give nylon blankets to those travelling in AC coaches, the Railway Board now wants cotton-rich, non-woven face towels for them.
While the cost of the face towels currently given to the passengers, including procurement cost and washing, comes to around Rs 3.53 per piece, the board, in a letter written to the general managers of all the railway zones on June 26, has said the new napkins are expected to cost less as those will be ordered in bulk and will be smaller in size.
Also Read: IRCTC says no to renew contract with catering firm for serving undercooked food
The cost of the bedroll is included in the ticket fare for those travelling in AC coaches.
"The new towels will be environment-friendly and made of cotton to absorb more water," PTI quoted a railway official as saying.
Moreover, two such napkins per bedroll will be provided during long journeys, if required.
Railways will convert all third AC coaches of the special trains to second AC coaches for providing more comfort to delegates, the sources said.
The 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas will be held in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi from January 21 to 23.
The Indian diaspora attending the event will get an opportunity to participate in the 'Kumbh Snan', preparations for which have been made at the sangam for the delegates.
Those interested in participating in the holy bath have to register on the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas website till November 15.
While the Kumbh will be taking place from January 14 to March 4, 2019, in Allahabad in which railways will be ferrying lakhs of devotees from across the country for their holy dips, the date for the delegates to visit the Kumbh will be January 24, according to the website of the Ministry of External Affairs.
The government has instructed railways to activate its vast resources and scale up deployment of such trains to carry up to 5000 delegates who will be in Prayagraj in Allahabad.
According to the sources, officials in the national transporter are apprehensive about the journey as heavy fog during peak winters is likely to delay trains on the route.
The shortest distance between the two cities is approximately 630 km and minimum time a train takes to reach Allahabad from New Delhi is 6h 44m.
Keeping in view the large number of pilgrims who will travel to Allahabad at that time, railways will also increase the frequency of trains between the two cities.
The delegates will be accommodated at Prayagraj and railways' catering arm, IRCTC will provide complementary dinner and breakfast to them.
A meeting for a review of plans for the Pravasiya Bharatiya Divas delegates has been scheduled by the MEA on Monday, which will be attended by representatives of all ministries associated with the event including the railways.
The national transporter has been asked to provide details of the number of trains that they will run for the delegates and also lay down a blueprint for the promotion of Indian Railways during the event.
Preparations are underway for this mela, for which the union and state governments have allocated a massive budget of Rs 2500 crore.
The Union Tourism Ministry is also organising roadshows and taking part in events, especially in European countries, to raise awareness about this mega event.
The first shocker was in Saptkranti Express Monday evening when a travelling ticket examiner (TTE), identified as Anjani Kumar (53), was allegedly stabbed by two ticketless passengers when they were asked to show their tickets, reported Hindustan Times.
The incident happened a few kilometeres away from Gorakhpur junction and the TTE was immediately shifted to nearby Narayan Railway Hospital with severe injuries in his stomach.
GRP Inspector Ajeet Kumar Singh informed that no FIR has been filed so far, however, police have initiated an investigation to arrest the absconding assailants.
In another incident, at least seven to ten unidentified assailants barged into the Jammu-Delhi Duronto Express in the wee hours of Thursday when it stopped due to a signal problem, a passenger said, with the Railways saying they have some lead in the case.
In the complaint, the passenger who was travelling from Jammu to Delhi, said the incident took place at around 3.30 AM and the train attendant, the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) and the security personnel were not available at the time of the incident.
"Today at 3.30 a.m., the train stopped somewhere due to (a) signal problem. Some five unidentified culprits entered coaches B3 and B7. They put their knife on the neck of other passengers and asked them to provide whatever expensive items they were carrying. They took their purses, cash, carry bags, gold chain and other things. The incident happened within 10 to 15 minutes. The irony was that neither staff nor security personnel were available at the time of the mishap," the passenger said in his complaint.
Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Northern Railways, Deepak Kumar, said they will take stern actions. "The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has some initial lead in this case... We will be able to catch the culprits soon," he said.
[With Agency Inputs]
The reduction of Flexi Fares is going to benefit both the passengers that can now avail tickets at cheaper rates, as well the Railways that will see a surge in demand and occupancy, Piyush Goyal had stated in a tweet.
As per reports, flexi fare scheme has been introduced in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains from September 9, 2016. Under this scheme, the fare increases by 10% with every 10% of berths sold subject to maximum limit of 1.5 times in classes Second AC, Sleeper, Second Sitting (reserved), AC Chair Car and 1.4 times in 3rd AC class.
Based on the feedback from different quarters, a committee was constituted to review the flexi fare scheme and based on certain recommendations of the committee, Flexi fare scheme in Rajdhani, Shatabdi & Duronto Trains has been rationalized as under:
Maximum cap of flexi fare scheme has been reduced to 1.4 times in all flexi fare applicable classes.
Graded discount has been introduced in flexi fare trains and Humsafar trains, where class-wise occupancy is less than 60%, 4 days prior to scheduled departure of the train as under:-
Occupancy and Discount:
Up to 70% - 20% on last fare
70 to 80% - 10% on last fare
Above 80% - Nil
The above changes will be implemented for the journey commencing on March 15, 2019 and onwards.
In addition to the above quotas, accommodation can also be allotted under Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) & Pooled Quota while booking reserved tickets through website of IRCTC.
These reservation quotas constitute approximately 94% of total reserved accommodation available on Indian Railways, which can be booked both through internet as well as through computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) of Indian Railways.
To avoid any misuse, this facility is generally not extended for those quotas which require prior physical verification of documents. However, recently this facility has been extended to persons with disability, Press correspondents and Defence Personnel. Extension of such facilities to different categories of passengers is a continuous and ongoing exercise.
With a view to cater to requirements of different categories of passengers served by Indian Railways, available reserved accommodation is distributed broadly under following types of reservation quotas:
General: Available for General Public
Tatkal: General Public
Premium Tatkal: General Public
Parliament House: Hon’ble Members of Parliament (Sitting and Former)
Ladies: Female passenger travelling alone or in a group of female passengers
Senior Citizen: Combined quota for senior citizens, female passengers above 45 years and pregnant women
Foreign Tourist: Foreigners
Defence: Defence Personnel
Roadside: General Public
Pooled: General Public
Cancer Patient: Cancer Patients
RAC(Reservation Against Cancellation): General Public
Physically Handicapped: Divyangjan
Duty Pass: Serving/retired Railway employees travelling on Duty/Privilege/Post retirement complimentary passes etc. in specified trains
Railway Employees: Designated Railway employees travelling on Duty in trains
Yuva: Unemployed persons between the age of 15 and 45
Emergency: Urgent travel requirement of High Official Requisition (HOR) holders, Members of Parliament, and general public
The move of the Railways is likely to generate added revenue and provide an added incentive to the container and wagon industry.
As per sources, this particular discount will be offered from January 2019 and remain in force till December 2019.
“New Year Bonanza for Freight Users: Railways is offering a year-long 25% discount on containers & wagons hauling imported goods for hinterland haulage from 1st January 2019, a move that will generate added revenue & provide an added incentive to the container & wagon industry,” tweeted Office of Piyush Goyal.
However, this discount will not be applicable on the notified commodities of the Railways, which include cement, iron ore, coal and food grains.
The private sector operators who are likely to benefit from the move are the private container operators and also the container corporation of India. The scheme will also help Railways gain some traffic from the road and generate an additional revenue stream.
Further, the Indian Railways is likely to review this particular scheme in June next year.
As per sources, Ministry of Railways has decided that the combined reservation quota of lower berths earmarked for senior citizens, female passengers 45 years of age and above and pregnant women may be enhanced as under:-
At present, the following combined reservation quota of lower berths is earmarked in Sleeper, AC-3 tier and AC-2 tier classes for senior citizens, female passengers 45 years of age and above and pregnant women:-
At present, there are five Multiple Payment Providers integrated on IRCTC mobile app.
The Government payment gateways that are enabled for booking tickets through IRCTC mobile app are netbanking, debit cards, credit cards and Unified Payments Interface (UPI)/ Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM).
All these payment gateways are provided by five Multiple Payment Providers integrated on IRCTC Mobile App. IRCTC has issued guidelines for integration of the payment providers who are authorized to provide payment gateways as per the extant instructions issued by Reserve Bank of India (RBI)/ and other competent authorities from time to time.
Any Government or private bank or payment gateway facilitator following the terms and conditions of the IRCTC guidelines can be integrated on IRCTC mobile app.
The move of the Railways is likely to generate added revenue and provide an added incentive to the container and wagon industry.
As per sources, this particular discount will be offered from January 2019 and remain in force till December 2019.
“New Year Bonanza for Freight Users: Railways is offering a year-long 25% discount on containers & wagons hauling imported goods for hinterland haulage from 1st January 2019, a move that will generate added revenue & provide an added incentive to the container & wagon industry,” tweeted Office of Piyush Goyal.
However, this discount will not be applicable on the notified commodities of the Railways, which include cement, iron ore, coal and food grains.
The private sector operators who are likely to benefit from the move are the private container operators and also the container corporation of India. The scheme will also help Railways gain some traffic from the road and generate an additional revenue stream.
Further, the Indian Railways is likely to review this particular scheme in June next year.
These cancellation will come into effect from December 13 (Thursday) and continue till February 15, 2019, sources said.
As per the official, besides cancellation of these 20 trains, trips of 14 other trains have also been reduced.
Some of the trains that have been cancelled are Gorakhpur-Amritsar Express, Amritsar-Gorakhpur Express, Sitamarhi-Anand Vihar Express, Anand Vihar-Sitamarhi Express, Jainagar-Amritsar Express, Allahabad-Basti Express and Basti-Allahabad Express.
रेलवे प्रशासन द्वारा घने कोहरे एवं खराब मौसम से होने वाली परिचालनिक कठिनाइयों के कारण 12 दिसम्बर,2018 से 15 फरवरी,2019 के मध्य निम्न प्रकार से गाड़ियों का निरस्तीकरण, आवृत्ति में कमी, मार्ग परिवर्तन एवं आंशिक निरस्तीकरण किया जायेगा । @gmner_gkp pic.twitter.com/609eepklAW
— nerailwaygorakhpur (@nerailwaygkp) December 13, 2018
Equipped with the new features like foot massagers and safety lockers, it was flagged off from the DSJ station on Dec 8, 2018 by the chairman of railway board.
This new train is equipped with state of the art equipment and guest amenities
The fully air-conditioned train comprises 12 LHB coaches: First AC- 4 coaches, Second AC- 2 coaches, Dining Car- 2 coaches, Kitchen Car- 1 coach, Third AC Staff Coach- 1 coach. The train accommodates 156 guests with on-board two restaurant cars with a capacity of 64 guests in each coach.
Other features include:
Kitchen car with the sate of the art equipment- hot plate, deep fat fryer, salamander, etc.
Separate sitting area in AC-2 tier with sofas
Amenities like foot massages, digital lockers and shower cubicles
Equipped with CCTV camera surveillance and smoke detection alarm system.
IRCTC launches all new Buddhist circuit tourist train rake which will cover all the important destinations associated with Buddha's life. Equipped with the new features like foot massagers and safety lockers it was flagged off today by the chairman of railway board. pic.twitter.com/QdjYPpd8fg
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) December 8, 2018
Elated to announce launch of the new Deluxe Tourist Train, flagged off from DSJ station on 8th Dec, 2018. The train will cover destinations of Buddhist history and importance. pic.twitter.com/o5LIhfmPth
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) December 10, 2018
Yes, you read that right. Flight tickets now available @ convenience fees of Rs. 59 ONLY!, tweeted IRCTC.
You read that right... flight tickets now available @ convenience fees of Rs. 59 ONLY!
Book your tickets NOW: https://t.co/fLKvfBLWUz#irctcair #flights #irctc #airtickets #booking #travel #travelholic #travelguide pic.twitter.com/79DVeAjgnX— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) November 16, 2018
Recently, Malaysian budget airline AirAsia said it is offering low-cost fares on domestic and international routes for travel from May 2019 to February 2020, covering 120 destinations across Asia, Australia and beyond.
“Passengers can book this week up to November 18 for travel from May 6, 2019 to February 4, 2020 with one-way tickets at Rs 399 on domestic and Rs 1,999 on international routes,” said its Indian joint venture Air Asia India in a statement here.
On the domestic routes, passengers can choose from 21 destinations where the low-cost carrier flies across the country, with a fleet of 19 A-320 aircraft.
Among the cities are Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar and Visakhapatnam.
Among the overseas routes passengers can choose from are Auckland, Bali, Bangkok, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Singapore and Sydney.
“The offer is available on all flights operated by our group network, including AirAsia India, AirAsia Berhad, Thai AirAsia, and AirAsia X,” said the statement.
The discount applies to bookings made through airasia.com and the AirAsia mobile app.
The airline’s Indian arm is a 4-year-old joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd and AirAsia Berhad, which operates to 165 destinations across 25 countries.
The important general rules for concession are as under:
1.(a)All concessional fares shall be calculated on the basis of fares for Mail/Express trains irrespective of the type of train, i.e. Mail or Express or Passenger, by which the passenger travels.
(b)Concession shall not be granted for any journey the cost of which is borne by the Central or State Government or a local authority or a Statutory body or a Corporation or a Government Undertaking or a University.
However, the students participating in the tournaments held or recognized by the schools or universities will be eligible to the concession.
(c)Concession shall be admissible only in respect of basic fares. No concession is admissible in respect of other charges, viz. superfast sucharge, reservation fee, etc. However, in cases where concession has been allowed in Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi trains, the concession shall be admissible in the total charges (including catering) of these trains.
(d)The concessions will be admissible subject to the minimum distance of 300 Kms, except in the case of students, blind, orthopaedically handicapped/paraplegic persons, TB and Cancer patients, Kidney patients, non-infectious leprosy patients, mentally retarded persons, thalassamia major disease patients, Heart, Hemophilia Patients, War Widows, Widows of IPKF, Widows of martyrs of operation Vijay 1999 (Kargil), Widows of defence personnel killed in action against terrorists & extremists, National Awardee Teachers, Shram Awardee Industrial Workers, Widows of Policemen killed in action against terrorists & extremists, Senior Citizens, Allopathic Doctors, parents accompanying the National Bravery Awardee child, Police Medal Awardees, Dronacharya Awardees coaches, sportsmen, Unemployed Youths for attending interviews for jobs, and their escorts, wherever admissible under the rules, in whose case the above mentioned distance restriction will not apply. However, the distance restrictions otherwise applicable to general public for travel in each individual train will apply for issue of concessional tickets also.
Also Read: IRCTC: Railway Passengers Know These Norms If Your Train Ticket Is In Waiting List
2.Only one type of concession is admissible at a time at the choice of passenger and no person is allowed two or more concessions simultaneously.
3.(a) Break of journey en-route shall not be allowed on a concession ticket for a journey for a specific purpose viz. a student travelling to/from an examination Centre, a Cancer patient travelling to/from a hospital, a professor travelling to/from a Conference, etc. It is allowed only where a break of journey is a natural event.
(b)Passengers breaking their journey are required to have their ticket endorsed from the Station Master where journey is broken.
(c)Passengers terminating journey en route, must surrender their ticket at the station where the journey is terminated. Refund for the untravelled portion on such tickets will not be allowed.
4.Except Senior Citizens, concession on Indian Railway will be admissible on production of the requisite certificate from the concerned Person/Organization in India and the documents issued by persons/organizations in other countries shall not be valid for the purpose of concession.
5.In the case of Senior citizens, no proof of age is required at the time of purchasing tickets. Concession tickets are issued on demand made through the option in reservation form. However, they are required to carry some documentary proof showing their age or date of birth and produce it if demanded by some Railway Official during the journey. Any document issued by any Government Institution/ Agency/Local Body, like Identity Card, Ration Card, Driving Licence, Pass Port, Educational certificate, certificate from Panchayat/Corporation/ Municipality, or any other authentic & recognised document, is acceptable for this purpose. The Pass Port issued by foreign countries is also valid.
You May Like: Risk of Online Shopping, Transaction: Know How To Keep Your Money Safe
6.The holder of a concession ticket is not permitted to change the ticket to a higher class even by paying the difference of actual fares. However, the categories of persons eligible for concession in first class (and not in AC 2-tier) can purchase tickets for AC 2-tier sleeper also on payment of the first class concessional fare plus difference of actual fares of AC 2-tier sleeper & first class.
7.Save as otherwise specifically provided, concession is not admissible in season tickets, circular journey tickets and prestigious trains like Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, etc. which have separate all inclusive fare structure. Concession is admissible to any one in Garib Rath Express trains.
8.In case where concessional Single/Return Journey Tickets or Season tickets or Circular journey tickets are to be issued for two or more persons, the concessional fare shall be calculated separately for each person.
9.All the concessions are to be granted across the counters at Stations/ Reservation Offices/Booking Offices only. If some person enters the train without ticket or without proper ticket or extends journey on concession ticket or changes the concession to higher class, etc., he shall not be granted any concession in train, even if he is otherwise eligible for it under the rules.
In such an initiative, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that Indian Railways has decided to open their famed saloon cars to the public. In the long history of Indian Railways, saloons were only meant for officials and VIPs.
These special cars come with two bedrooms, attached bathrooms and a living room and at present, there are 336 saloon cars of which 62 are air-conditioned, reports claim.
In addition to that, the trailing windows offer a spectacular view of your journey.
Another exciting news for the enthusiasts is that the Railway minister announced Vistadome coaches on the Kalka-Shimla train.
You May Like: 7th Pay Commission: Hike For Central Govt Employees But Not As Expected
It may be mentioned here that Goyal had suggested the change a few months ago on a trip on the Kalka Shimla line and has lived up to the expectations of the people.
Also Read: IRCTC agent arrested for selling ‘tatkal’ tickets
Goyal tweeted, "The Kalka - Shimla Rail, equipped with a Vistadome Coach, ran its first trial trip. Passengers can now soak in the aesthetic landscape with better vision through the glass top ceiling of the newly converted coach."
The Kalka - Shimla Rail, equipped with a Vistadome Coach, ran its first trial trip today. Passengers can now soak in the aesthetic landscape with better vision through the glass top ceiling of the newly converted coach. pic.twitter.com/qzFRzwczNq
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 10, 2018
The railways plan to give graded discounts in fares for all classes of current flexi-fare trains, four days prior to the scheduled date of the train starting from the originating station. Flexi fares increase the price of tickets as occupancy increases.
However, there will be no discount on the fares of the premium trains which have an occupancy rate of more than 80 per cent.
According to a Railway Ministry senior official, the scheme has been discontinued in 15 trains, where the average uni-directional monthly occupancy was less than 50 per cent throughout the year.
The official said that the railways had decided to discontinue the flexi-fare in a pre-defined lean period of three months in 32 trains with uni-directional monthly occupancy between 50-75 per cent throughout the last fiscal.
The decision assumes significance as it will enable the railways to lure more passengers that it had lost to other means of transport, especially the aviation sector.
In addition, the flexi-fare scheme will continue in over 100 trains in which uni-directional monthly occupancy is more than 75 per cent throughout the year.
The official also said that the changes shall be made on an experimental basis for six months. "Decision to continue it will be taken after accessing its outcome," the official added.
On September 9, 2016, the railways had introduced flexi-fare for premier trains: 44 Rajdhanis, 52 Durontos and 46 Shatabdi Express trains.
Under this, the base fare increases by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold, subject to a prescribed limit. There was no change in the existing fare for first AC and economy class.
But on December 19, the Railways started providing 10 per cent rebate on any seat left vacant after the preparation of the passenger chart.
The Railways has reviewed Flexi Fare Scheme and introduced following changes:
Discontinuation of Flexi-fare in trains with average monthly occupancy less than 50% throughout the previous year.
Discontinuation of Flexi-fare, in lean period of 3 months, in trains with average monthly occupancy between 50-75% throughout the previous year.
Maximum current cap of 1.5 times to be reduced to 1.4 times in all classes.
To increase the occupancy of less patronised classes (2A, 3A, CC etc.), Graded discount of 20% on last fare on all trains with Flexi Fare and Humsafar Trains where occupancy of a particular class is less than 60% (4 days prior to scheduled departure of the train). Further, 10% discount will be offered as per the table given below:
Upto -70% occupancy : 20% on last fare
70-80% occupancy : 10% on last fare
Above 80% occupancy : Nil
Changes shall be implemented from Advance Reservation Period (ARP) i.e. 4 months after making necessary changes in Passenger Reservation System, on an experimental basis for six months to be further extended after assessing its outcome
List of trains with occupancy less than 50% (2017-18) from which Flexi Fare will be removed in 2018-19
Train no. Train type and Train Name
12006 Shatabdi: Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi
12012 Shatabdi: Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi
12037 Shatabdi: New Delhi-Ludhiana Shatabdi
12038 Shatabdi: Ludhiana-New Delhi Shatabdi
12043 Shatabdi: Moga(Ludhiana)-New Delhi Shatabdi
12044 Shatabdi: New Delhi-Moga(Ludhiana) Shatabdi
12047 Shatabdi: New Delhi-Bhatinda Shatabdi
12048 Shatabdi: Bhatinda-New Delhi Shatabdi
12085 Shatabdi: Guwahati-Dibrugarh Shatabdi
12086 Shatabdi: Dibrugarh-Guwahati Shatabdi
12087 Shatabdi: Naharlagun-Guwahati Shatabdi
12088 Shatabdi: Guwahati-Naharlagun Shatabdi
12277 Shatabdi: Howrah-Puri Shatabdi
22205 Duronto: Chennai-Madurai Duronto
22206 Duronto: Madurai-Chennai Duronto
Annexure B
List of trains with occupancy between 50%-75% (2017-18) from which Flexi Fare will be removed in lean period of 2018-19
Train No. & Train Name
1. 12005 KALKA SHATABDI
2. 12014 AMRITSAR SHATABDI
3. 12016 AJMER SHATABDI
4. 12018 DEHRADUN SHATABDI
5. 12020 SHATABDI EXPRESS
6. 12025 SHATABDI EXP
7. 12026 PUNE SHATABDI
8. 12030 SWARNA SHATABDI
9. 12031 AMRITSAR SHATABDI
10. 12032 AMRITSAR SHATABDI
11. 12039 KGM NDLS SHT
12. 12041 SHATABDI EXPRESS
13. 12042 NJP HWH SHATABDI
14. 12045 NDLS CDG SHATABDI
15. 12046 CDG NDLS SHATABDI
16. 12213 DURONTO EXPRESS
17. 12214 YPR DURONTO EXP
18. 12219 SC DURONTO EXP
19. 12223 LTT ERS DURONTO
20. 12224 ERS LTT DURONTO
21. 12227 INDORE DURONTO
22. 12228 MUMBAI DURONTO
23. 12239 JAIPUR DURONTO
24. 12240 JP MMCT DURONTO
25. 12243 SHATABDI EXP
26. 12244 SHATABDI EXP
27. 12278 SHATABDI EXPRESS
28. 12437 RAJDHANI EXP
29. 12441 BSP NDLS RAJ EX
30. 12442 BILASPUR RJDHNI
31. 12453 RNC NDLS RAJ EXP
32. 22414 NZM MAO RAJ
Flexi Fare Scheme was launched with effect from 9th September, 2016. The scheme generated high revenue however initially there was a drop of passengers which picked up later on. Further, to rationalise the fares an 8 member committee was formed to review the scheme and make it more passenger friendly. The review of the scheme has been done based on the recommendation of the committee, Comptroller and Auditor General’s report, and representations from passengers.
[With Agency Inputs]
The arrested duo has been identified as Nirmal Pandit of Taharapur area under Rupsa police limits and Sushant Kumar Dakua of Jaleswar Station Jaar area.
Acting on a tip-off that railway e-tickets were being booked illegally by hacking the railway software, a team led by Kharagpur CB official Suresh Kumar along with Security Control Inspector BK Yadav raided the Odisha Communication.
Sources claimed further investigation is on as it could be just the tip of an iceberg of e-ticket racket in Odisha; however, the CB officials could not be contacted on the issue.
It may be mentioned here that former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi had in August accused the government of misusing data collected from passengers by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and putting on hold its disinvestment.
Also Read: Railway Ticket Booking Made Easier Now; Check What’s New
Saying that it was a “threat to privacy”, Trivedi had said in Lok Sabha that this matter should be taken up urgently.
“Indian Railways has the biggest database in the world. And the government wants to tap the data that platform has collected. Privacy of Indian citizens must be protected. It is a threat to privacy as this data can be misused and manipulated,” he had told PTI.
As a big leap, booking of unreserved tickets on all non-suburban sections across all Zonal Railways has been made available from 1st November to enable seamless booking of unreserved tickets all over Indian Railways which will obviate the need for passengers to wait in queues for purchasing the tickets.
A pilot project for booking of unreserved tickets through mobile phone was commenced in December, 2014 on select stations on Central Railway to provide customers the convenience of booking of unreserved tickets without having to stand in queues.
Gradually, unreserved Mobile ticketing was extended to all suburban sections in metropolitan cities of Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Secunderabad between 2015 and 2017 along with the facility of paperless ticketing. The facility of booking unreserved tickets, including season tickets and also platform tickets is available through the ‘UTSONMOBILE’ app available for Android, IOS and Windows phones.
The process of ticket booking involves downloading the application and registration by furnishing the requisite details. After successful registration, the user is given user-ID and password through which the user can log-in and book ticket through this application within the ticketing area and outside the Geo-fenced area (geofenced area is station premises and train route within which ticket cannot be booked.
Ticketing area is outside the geofenced area as defined in the application). Initially, the payment could be made only through R-Wallet. Subsequently, the facility of making payment through all types of digital modes i.e. debit card, credit card, net-banking, UPI and other e-wallets has been introduced through payment aggregators viz. Paytm, Mobikwik and Freecharge, in line with Government’s directives to promote all digital modes of payments.
The daily average number of passengers booking tickets through this app has increased from approximately 5400 in year 2015 to 4.70 lakh in October, 2018.
The UTSONMOBILE was also introduced on Non-Suburban sections in 2015 initially on Delhi-Palwal section of Northern Railway which was subsequently extended to other non-suburban sections of Northern, South Central, Southern, South Western, East Coast, South East Central and South Eastern Railways.
Benefits of the App:
Mobile Ticketing shall promote 3C’s- Cashless transactions, Contact less ticketing and Customer convenience.
Seamless booking of unreserved tickets all over Indian Railways.
Obviate the need for passengers to wait in queues for purchasing the tickets and enhance the experience for booking unreserved tickets – journey, season tickets, platform tickets.
Environment friendly.
About the App
‘UTSONMOBILE’ application available for Android, IOS, Windows phones. Can be downloaded from Google play or window store.
Application ‘in house’ developed by Indian Railway- CRIS.
Patronization of the App:
App has 4 Star rating at Google play store.
Increase in Number of tickets sold: approximately 1900/day in 2015 to 83,000/day in October, 2018.
Increase in number of passengers: approximately 5400/day in 2015 to in 4.70 lakh/day in October, 2018.
The reduction of Flexi Fares is going to benefit both the passengers that can now avail tickets at cheaper rates, as well the Railways that will see a surge in demand and occupancy.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal through a tweet mentioned, "As a gift to passengers this festive season, Railways has decided to reduce Flexi Fares from 1.5 to 1.4 times the base ticket fare, and to completely remove Flexi Fares from trains with less than 50% occupancy."
As a gift to passengers this festive season, Railways has decided to reduce Flexi Fares from 1.5 to 1.4 times the base ticket fare, and to completely remove Flexi Fares from trains with less than 50% occupancy.
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2018
Not only this, he tagged it as a Win-Win Situation. "The reduction of Flexi Fares is going to benefit both the passengers that can now avail tickets at cheaper rates, as well the Railways that will see a surge in demand and occupancy," he said in another tweet.
Win-Win Situation: The reduction of Flexi Fares is going to benefit both the passengers that can now avail tickets at cheaper rates, as well the Railways that will see a surge in demand and occupancy. pic.twitter.com/1T2WhpYxcZ
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2018
During this season, the commuters can travel in these Western Railways' Special trains towards Jammu Tawi, New Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chennai & Howrah.
Travel comfortably in WR's Special Trains this festive season towards Jammu Tawi, New Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chennai & Howrah. Book your tickets now! #WRUpdates #ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/cse7BQfTaZ
— Western Railway (@WesternRly) October 25, 2018
Apart from this, 24 festival special trains have been announced by the Central Railway between LTT-Gorakhpur/Manduadih and CSMT-Jammu Tawi/Lucknow.
Also Read: Indian Railways’ Notice For Train Passengers; Know The Facilities
24 festival special trains between LTT-Gorakhpur/Manduadih and CSMT-Jammu Tawi/Lucknow. Bookings on special charges open from 27.10.2018. pic.twitter.com/OyEZx0Mftp
— Central Railway (@Central_Railway) October 26, 2018
The press release said the above mentioned items are available with the Train Superintendent/Guard and Station Master/Station Superintendents as recommended by the expert doctors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
Any passenger falling sick or getting injured during the course of train journey may contact the railway staff available on-board or at stations for making arrangements for providing First-Aid.
All the front-line staff deployed in trains and at stations viz. Ticket Checking Staff, Train Superintendents, Guards, Station Masters etc. are properly trained in rendering First-Aid.
In case of severe medical emergency while travelling, the service of doctors travelling as passengers is also utilized. Such doctors are given concession in the fare and their identity is separately shown in the reservation charts available with the TTE and also displayed in the coach.
Also Read: Indian Railways To Run Festive Special Trains Till February 2019
Availability of either a railway doctor or private practitioner for providing medical aid is arranged en-route at next station. Station Masters maintain a list of railway/government/private hospitals/clinics and ambulance services in the vicinity of the respective station along-with their address, facilities available and contact details.
The train schedule has been given below:
For details related to stoppages of trains etc, passengers are requested to contact Railway Enquiry No. 139, nearest Railway Station or visit Railway's website www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in.
1. Nasik Road - Nagpur - Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Super Fast Special (2 Trips)
Train No. 01017 Superfast Special will leave Nasik Road on October 18, 2018 at 4.45 am and arrive Nagpur at 3.15 pm the same day.
Train No. 01018 Superfast Special will leave Nagpur on October 19, 2018 at 12.15 pm and arrive Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Mumbai at 3.10 am the next day.
Halts: (Thane*, Kalyan*, Igatpuri*, Nasik Road*), Manmad, Bhusaval, Malkapur, Shegaon, Akola, Badnera, Chandur, Dhamangaon, Pulgaon, Wardha, Sewagram, Sindi and Ajni. (* Train No. 01018 only)
The trains will comprise one First AC cum AC-2 Tier, one AC-3 Tier, 13 Sleeper Class, 2 General Second Class cum Guard’s Brake Van.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai- Ajni - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai Special (2 Trips)
Train No. 01011 Special will leave Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai on October 18, 2018 at 12.20 am and arrive Ajni at 2.15 pm the same day.
Train No. 01012 Special will leave Ajni on October 19, 2018 at 11.05 pm and arrive Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai at 2.40 pm the next day.
Halts: Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nasik Road, Manmad, Bhusaval, Malkapur, Shegaon, Akola, Badnera, Chandur, Dhamangaon, Pulgaon, Wardha, Sewagram, and Sindi.
The trains will comprise one First AC cum AC-2 Tier, one AC-3 Tier, 15 Sleeper Class, 2 General Second Class cum Guard’s Brake Van
3. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai - Nagpur Special (One way)
Train No. 01075 Unreserved Special will leave Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai on October 17, 2018 at 1.30 pm and arrive Nagpur at 5.10 am the next day.
Halts: Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nasik Road, Manmad, Bhusaval, Malkapur, Shegaon, Akola, Badnera, Chandur, Dhamangaon, Pulgaon, Wardha, Sewagram, Sindi and Ajni.
These trains comprises 14 General Second Class.
4. Nagpur-Pune Special (One way)
Train No. 01030 Unreserved Special will leave Nagpur on October 18, 2018 at 11 pm and arrive Pune at 7.10 pm the next day.
Halts: Ajni, Sindi, Sewagram, Wardha, Pulgaon, Dhamangaon, Chandur, Badnera, Akola, Shegaon, Malkapur, Bhusaval, Manmad, Kopargaon, Belapur, Ahmednagar and Daund.
These trains will comprise 14 General Second Class.
Reservation: Bookings for 01017/01018 & 01011/01012 special trains on special charges will open from October 16, 2018 at all PRS locations and on website www.irctc.co.in. General Second Class coaches in all the above trains will run as unreserved accommodation and booked through UTS counters.
The information was revealed by the Corporation in a tweet where it mentioned, "Enjoy delicious servings while staying true to your customs."
#IRCTC brings you special #navratri thali this festive season. Enjoy delicious servings while staying true to your customs. Order Now: https://t.co/vYKDuOFzA5 or Download the #FoodonTrack App
Android App: https://t.co/kfczamd8yc
iOS App: https://t.co/mbaV1vKwes#irctc #foodie pic.twitter.com/WJwbVLIwJ1— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) October 10, 2018
Earlier, IRCTC had decided to sell food on platforms as well.
Passengers will be able to purchase better quality food from IRCTC stalls which were earlier situated only in the concourse area of railway stations, a Financial Express report said quoting Railway Board circular.
According to the local requirements of catering services for passengers, zonal railways have now been empowered to permit platform vending at stations.
Also Read: Indian Railways plans to run special ‘Pravasi Bharti’ trains
The report added that this permission, by zonal railways, can be given to food plazas, refreshment rooms and other static catering stalls located at platforms.
The move is likely to help passengers as they will get good quality food on platforms of major and intermediate stations.
Till now, IRCTC authorised static food plazas and catering stalls at railway stations were only allowed to sell items at the counters.
These stalls are mostly situated at concourses in major stations of non-suburban grade (NSG 1 grade) and in platforms of NSG 2 and 3 grade stations which mostly have only single food unit at any of one of the platforms.
Laudatory participation in Shramdaan by Railways officers & employees in connection with recently organized Swacchta Hi Sewa national cleanliness campaign has been one of the strong impactful measures by the Railways and the planting of 13.27 lakh saplings during the fortnight program alongside 1300 km route kilometre of track, near station areas and on vacant land plots has been one of the noteworthy efforts to create green public spaces.
In keeping with its mission mode to improve sanitation on its premises, the Indian Railways has allocated Rs 300 crore to renovation of existing toilets, construction of new toilets. The Railway has constructed/ improved1800 toilets at 1400 stations including the construction of around 200 Divyang friendly toilets.
Apart from this, the railway has undertaken provision of toilets in circulating areas at railway stations for local community and surrounding area inhabitants as well as for general public visiting railway stations under the CSR initiative.
Swachhta Hi Sewa program on the Railways has been a forceful communication platform that the Railways have managed to achieve in recent years. Awareness activities were stepped up to ensure greater level of hygiene and sanitation at stations, at workplaces, at workshops as well as at the railway colonies.
Public participation and accountability building are being increasingly acknowledged as intrinsic factors in transforming the cleanliness profile of railway stations. User-friendly and well-designed toilets are part of the broader vision of cleanliness programs on the Railways.
A sip of tea or coffee freshens and wakes you up, whether you are at home or travelling somewhere. Starting from youth to elderly, millions of people enjoy drinking tea or coffee during a journey, especially in trains. Indian Railways, though brings beneficial initiatives for its passengers, recently revised the rate to Rs 10 from Rs 7.
According to a report by HT, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) recently released an order after reviewing the tariff and menu of meals on board.
The circular issued by the Railway Board on September 18, 2018 stated, “Tariff of tea as well as coffee is revised and is fixed at Rs 10 per cup.”
However, the circular clarified that the standard tea (not dip tea) will be available at Rs 5, sources said, adding that the prices in Rajdhani and Shatabdi would not be changed as the food package in these trains are prepaid.
“The corporation requested the Railway Board to revise the rates of tea and coffee after complaints about vendors overcharging for these beverages,” said an IRCTC official, requesting anonymity.
Moreover, the officer mentioned that it was a proposal from IRCTC which was approved by the Railway Board and it’s a minimal hike.
Apart from this, Railways is likely to discontinue the pot system, which were priced at Rs 10 for tea in pots (285 ml) and Rs 15 for coffee in pots (285 ml).
Also Read: IRCTC Plans New Norms To Satisfy Railway Passengers’ Appetite!
After being flooded with complaints over being overcharged for meals, water bottles as well as tea and coffee on trains, the Railway Ministry issued a rate card. Also, the rate list was posted by the ministry on Twitter and people were asked to lodge a complaint if they are overcharged by vendors.
“Demand a bill from the railway catering staff. If no bill is given, then refuse to pay. My officers will deal with the matter,” Goyal had stated.
While Paytm offers a cashback of Rs 100 on ticket bookings through its platform, MobiKwik is offering 10% discount. A few sources also claimed that the Flipkart owned-PhonePe is also offering a cashback of Rs 100 if you book tickets through its platform.
Here's How To Avail The Offer:
(a) Visit IRCTC (www.irctc.co.in) or mobile application.
(b) Log in using your username and password.
(c) Fill in your travel details.
(d) Enter captcha code
(e) Click on proceed to payment.
(f) In the payment mode, choose the e-wallet options.
(g) Choose either from Paytm, Freecharge or Mobikwik to avail the offer.
Also Read: Bollywood sweetheart Disha Patani’s love for Odisha sweet Rasagola
Recently in a release, the Railways had stated, "UPI/BHIM is also accepted as payment option while booking tickets through counter. 5% discount on the total value of basic fare in Passenger Reservation System (PRS) reserved counter ticket is given for payments made through UPI including BHIM subject to maximum amount of discount of Rs 50 on a ticket and value of ticket being Rs 100 and more."
However, there is no discount on tickets below Rs 100.
Following are the major initiatives taken by Indian Railways in this regard.
Tracking of trains using newer technologies:
Railways have experimented with tracking of trains using GPS devices with these GPS devices located in the locomotive. For a sustainable solution, a Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) is being implemented, whereby GPS tracking devices would communicate using satellite communications. The trials have been successful. Apart from this, data logger systems already available in track circuited stations are being used at major interchange points to capture arrival/departure information on trains.
In an effort to computerise the transactions of the station master, a Computerised Train Signal Register is going live at 650 stations and this enables arrival/departure information to be transmitted to the Control Office Application (COA) and the National train Enquiry System (NTES) directly from the station master’s desk.
Handheld Devices on trains:
Handheld Terminals (HHTs) are being provided to the Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) to be able to check the reserved coaches, allot the vacant berths and transmit information on available berths to the subsequent stations. The HHT can also access the ticketing application and collect excess fares as per rules. The terminal can potentially connect to a Point of Sale (POS) machine and charges can be collected digitally.
Modernisation of Ticketing Website (IRCTC):
Over the last four years, the capacity of the website has increased to 20,000 tickets per minute starting from 2000 tickets per minute in 2014, a ten-fold increase.
Apart from the capacity, the entire user experience has been improved substantially with the launch a new interface with easier navigation and standard views that enable the passengers to transact smoothly. New features have been added that enable better planning of journeys aiding the passenger to obtain confirmed tickets.
Also Read: IRCTC: New ways to check Indian Railways PNR status update
Paperless Unreserved Ticketing through Mobile Phones:
Paperless Unreserved ticketing on mobile phones was launched on December 25, 2014 at Mumbai and has since been expanded to suburban sections of Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Secunderabad and New Delhi-Palwal section of Northern Railway. This has eliminated the need for passengers to stand in queue for getting tickets for journey in unreserved compartments of trains. The ticket is delivered on the Mobile Phone and is embedded with QR Code. This service has added to passenger convenience. About 4 lakh passengers per day are booking tickets on Mobile phones.
Average per day Unreserved Tickets booked on Mobile (2014-18):
2014-15: 195 tickets per day
2015-16: 1929 tickets per day
2016-17: 7257 tickets per day
2017-18: 16223 tickets per day
2018-19: 67000 tickets per day
Indian Railway e-Procurement System (IREPS):
Complete tendering activity of Indian Railways for procurement of goods, services & works and e-auction of scrap sale is on IREPS. IREPS system is largest such G to B portal in India. It has helped in achieving objectives of transparency, efficiency and improving of ease of doing business. During 2017-18, 4,44,000 e-tenders valuing more than Rs.1,50,000 crore were issued on IREPS. Online scrap sale of Rs 2800 crore was also done last year through e-auction, while 90,000 vendors have registered themselves on IREPS website.
The Central Vigilance Commission has recognised and awarded the system under ‘Vigilance Excellence Award – 2017’ for the outstanding contribution in the category of IT initiatives for transparency in the organization.
According to orders issued by the board, those using such tactics will be debarred from such promotions for a minimum of one year.
A comprehensive transfer policy issued by the railways in 2015 states that the controlling officer will ensure that the officer transferred is relieved within a maximum period of one month.
However, the board said officers who are transferred from one zone or unit to the other on promotion often fail to comply with the orders within the stipulated time frame.
"They do not carry out the orders within the stipulated period and try to evade or delay the process by citing one reason or the other," the board said.
This, it said, causes a lot of "administrative difficulties" not only for the railway unit/zone where the officers continues to remain even after issue of transfer orders but also where he is transferred.
The board in an August 29 order has said the decision was taken to "curb the rising tendency among officers" of not complying their transfer or promotion orders.
"If an officer does not comply with his/her transfer-cum-promotion within the stipulated period, it may be treated to be a refusal for promotion and may render the officer liable for debarment from such promotion for a minimum period of one year," the board has said.
The railways' order comes amidst cases of officers trying to wriggle their way out of tough or uncomfortable postings, sources said.
While all civil servants are governed by the Central Civil Services Rules, each cadre has its own set of rules for transfer and promotions within the cadre.
The CCS rules stipulate the time frame in which officers need to join their new post according to the distance of the new posting to the old one.
It carries time from immediate joining to around a month under some situations, depending on the distance between the two headquarters.
Not joining within the stipulated time could lead to barring of the officer for future and foreign postings for as long as five years.
Different cadres, however, have the power to enforce rules they seem fit for transfer of officers within it.
Issuing a press release, the Central Railways said that 07617 Hazur Sahib Nanded - Panvel special will leave Hazur Sahib Nanded at 5.30 pm every Saturday from September 1, 2018 to February 23, 2019 (except on Sept 8 and Sept 15) and will arrive at Panvel at 9 am next day.
The 07618 Panvel- Hazur Sahib Nanded special will leave Panvel at 10 am every Sunday from Sept 2, 2018 to Feb 24, 2019 (except on Sept 9 and Sept 16) and will arrive at Hazur Sahib Nanded at 5 am next day, it added.
It will halt at Purna, Parbhani, Parli Vaijnath, Latur Road, Latur, Usmanabad, Kurduwadi, Daund, Pune and Lonavala stations, it informed.
Booking of tickets for 07618 on special charges has opened from yesterday at all PRS centres as well as on www.irctc.co.in, it said.
The train will comprise one AC First cum AC 2-Tier, One AC 2-Tier, One AC 3-Tier, 10 Sleeper Class and 8 General Second Class coaches, the release said.
"We have decided to get more AC-III tier coaches because they generate more revenue for us," Chairman Railway Board Ashwani Lohani said, without giving a deadline for replacement of the coaches.
If such a replacement is done, for example, in the 50 Rajdhani trains, officials said, it will create around 14,400 additional berths for AC-III passengers.
They said that railways was suffering huge losses on AC-II, while AC-III is always on demand. Hence, the change.
In fact, AC III coaches are the money spinners for railways in AC segment as they carry around 85 million passengers annually, compared to around 55 million in all other AC segments together - AC-I, AC II and AC chair car.
This is coming at a time when the national transporter is mulling a change in its flex-fare scheme to make it more consumer friendly. In fact, after a CAG report criticised the scheme and lashed out at the railways for charging its AC-II passengers on par with airlines in certain sectors, the move seeks to generate additional revenues.
Sources said that the board is mulling revising the scheme as per a formula used in the Humsafar trains in which the first 50 per cent berths of these trains will be sold at 15 per cent higher price than the base price and the slab will change with every 10 per cent of the berth sold thereafter.
Similarly, the government is also mulling options to bring in special discounts under the scheme in not so busy routes.
As of now, under flexi-fare scheme the base fares of premium trains increase by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold subject to a prescribed ceiling limit. There is no change in the existing fare for 1AC and EC class of travel.
Under the scheme, the national transporter had posted a 0.82 per cent increase in the number of passengers during the last financial year and got additional revenue of around Rs 8.6 billion.
For easy reference, the Railways has drawn up a Rail Travel Concession Table, showing details of travellers eligible for concession, amount of concession and the conditions, if any, for availing the concession.
The Table is divided into two parts. "Part A" contains those concessions which are available directly at stations & booking/reservation offices by producing the necessary documents. "Part-B" contains those concessions where the persons should approach the designated Commercial Officers of the Railway in the Area, Division or Zonal Railway Headquarters. After verifying the eligibility, the Officers issue necessary authorization letter on the basis of which, the Station Managers & Booking/ Reservation offices issue concessional tickets.
Also Read: Indian Railways: Important Highlights Of New Train Time Table 2018-19
If you are eligible for any of the concessions, please follow the information provided below:
The official said that the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to stop free travel insurance starting September 1 and "the option of free insurance will be optional".
Travellers while booking tickets through its website or mobile application will have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel insurance.
He said that in a bid to promote the digital transaction, the IRCTC has been giving free travel insurance to passengers since December 2017.
The railways had earlier also waived off ticket booking charge for users who make payments via debit cards.
The insurance provided by the IRCTC had a maximum cover of Rs 10 lakh in case of a person's death during a train journey, Rs 7.5 lakh if a person is disabled due to an accident, Rs 2 lakh if injured and Rs 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains.
The order to charge for the travel insurance will be generated in a few days. However, the amount has not been disclosed yet.
"By reducing AC chair car fare in Shatabdi Express between Mysuru and Chennai via Bengaluru, we got more number of passengers travel in the superfast train than bus or flight", an SWR spokesperson said.
"The fares have been slashed as part of the dynamic fare fixing based on traffic pattern than on demand-supply ratio," added the official.
Also Read: 7th Pay Commission: Uncertainty looms over Central govt employees’ Rs 26k Minimum Pay hike
"The response was encouraging when we introduced the lower fare in the weekly express for the first time a week ago (August 4)," said the official.
The Railway Board has also directed other zonal railways to adopt the SWR dynamic fare fixing on passenger traffic model in select trains to enable more people travel in trains.
Saying that it was a "threat to privacy", Trivedi said in Lok Sabha yesterday that this matter should be taken up urgently.
"Indian Railways has the biggest database in the world. And the government wants to tap the data that platform has collected. Privacy of Indian citizens must be protected. It is a threat to privacy as this data can be misused and manipulated," he told PTI.
He further said that this is the first instance of privatisation of citizen data by a government department, leaving data scientists and public concerned.
"This is a matter of grave importance and I urge the government to look into the matter as it is a threat to right to privacy and leads to data manipulation," said Trivedi.
IRCTC is one of the biggest e-commerce sites in the world. The Railway Ministry is working on a revamp plan before selling shares of IRCTC.
Also Read: IRCTC Railway Alert! Penalty Again For Extra Luggage in Trains; Get Details Here
It is a known fact that IRCTC database was leaked and the information of around one crore people was feared stolen, Trivedi alleged.
"I hope that the Supreme Court is also looking into the matter as the Aadhaar issue is still at the hearing stage," said Trivedi.
The railways is increasingly adopting the airline model -- from its food to its vacuum toilets -- to give passengers airline-like comforts.
In a meeting with division-level officers and board members on July 17, Lohani said that to maintain cleanliness in trains, pantry staff should collect trash in a bag after meals are served, "as done in airlines".
"Meal plates are usually kept under the seats by passengers after eating and the pantry staff take away those by stacking one on top of the other. Sometimes the leftover contents spill and fall on the floor of the coaches. Also, passengers keep sundry items like banana peals, packets and other such things on the berths or on the floor," an official said.
"Under this system, the pantry staff, just like airlines, will carry a bag to every passenger who can put their trays, plates or any other trash in it," the official said.
Also Read: 7th Pay Commission: Modi govt’s ‘yes’ for Rs 8,000 Pay Hike for Central Government Employees?
In some airlines, on-board staffers carry trash bags to every passengers before landing of the flight to put their waste in those bags, so that the need for a major cleanup before the aircraft is ready to seat the next set of passengers is minimised.
Lohani has also said that in those trains where there is no pantry, on-board housekeeping staff should keep such trash bags.
Trash bags will now be included in regular contracts with caterers, he has said.
The passengers can check transaction history, enjoy seamless transition between tablet, mobile and laptop and even check ‘Ticket Confirmation Prediction’ on the IRCTC website.
Not only this, they can also change the font size for better readability and filter between categories for train search.
But before booking tickets, passengers should be aware of how to register and login on IRCTC website.
How to register and login on IRCTC website?
Logging on the IRCTC website is simple once you create a new account. Register your account with IRCTC in just few simple steps! All you need to do is enter username and password with all personal details followed by One Time Password verification. Once the OTP is entered, your account is ready-to-use.
Steps to register on IRCTC website:
(1) Click on Register
(2) Enter username (should be between 4-10 characters)
(3) Choose the security question and its answer
(4) Select preferred language
(5) Fill personal details
(6) Enter complete residential details
(7) Agree to the terms and conditions
(8) Click on Register
(9) Enter OTP for verification
(10) After entering the verification, code click on submit.
The new system will facilitate the prospective passengers in getting the information of the vacant berths available in the train after chart preparation. Complete information of vacant berths from train source as well as intermediate locations will be available to the user. Prospective customer can use the information for online booking of vacant berths or through TTE as per business rules. This feature is available in web as well as mobile version.
Piyush Goyal said that it is another step to introduce transparency in the system and to add comfort to the travel experience of the passengers. He added that by introducing this new online platform for public viewing of train charts will put the practice of searching a Ticket collector in the moving train to an end. This new feature in ticketing system is a dynamic system which will keep upgrading itself as the train proceeds for the destination and make it more transparent as passengers can see the real time availability of berths.
The Minister also announced that IRCTC shall soon add 30 kitchen base and all kitchen bases will equipped with cameras for public viewing. Biodegradable packing of food prepared in these kitchen bases is also being planned so the quality of food is not lost during the transit. He announced that PoS machines will be made available to all TTEs and Catering staff onboard.
The Minister added that transparency and accountability are the guiding principles of this Government. He expressed the hope that we will keep taking further steps to ensure Minimum Government, Maximum Governance in the country.
Girish Pillai, Member Traffic, Railway Board said, “Entire effort is to make reservation process as transparent as possible and comfortable to the public. The biggest advantage is passenger can see which berth is available even after second charts are made”. He also added in 20 days all Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains tickets can be booked even after second charts which are released 30 minutes before the departure of the train.
The user-friendly interface will give a graphical representation of the train coaches and berth-wise accommodation status on www.irctc.co.in website. The system displays coach layout of 9 classes used in the reserved trains of Indian Railways and more than 120 different coach layouts have been incorporated.
This feature displays class wise and coach wise full vacant berth availability information as per the ‘First Chart’ of the train. ‘First Chart’ is prepared four hours in advance to train departure. If the ‘Second Chart’ is also prepared, then the option to view the details of vacant berth available at the time of ‘Second Chart’ will also be displayed. The ‘Second Chart’ is prepared about 30 minutes prior to the departure of the train, to accommodate the information of current reservations and cancellations done after ‘First Chart’. Both the charts will get updated for every charting location as the train heads towards its destination.
How to access:
(i) On the home page of www.irctc.co.in a new option to view “CHARTS / VACANCY” will be available.
(ii) On click of this option, journey details such as train number, journey date and boarding station will be taken from the user and on entering the same the user will be able to see class-wise and coach-wise number of vacant berths.
(iii) The user can further click on a specific coach to see the coach layout along with berth-wise accommodation status like occupied for full journey, occupied for part journey and vacant for full journey.
Salient features:
Customer friendly flow:
Availability of complete data on single click of button, Simple flow
Enhanced Visual Experience:
Visual representation of coaches, Coach layout view, Data also presented in tabular form with filters on each column
State of art technology:
Use of “React JS” Javascript library and HTML canvas for creating interactive User Interface.
Below we have are the details on the e-ticketing facilities, Tatkal Quota Booking, General Quota E-tickets and Change of boarding station and change in name of E-Ticket passenger.
AMENDMENT IN E-TICKET SCHEME:
The accommodation booked is not transferable and is valid only if one of the passenger booked on an e-ticket in a transaction presents any of the identity cards (Voter identity card/Passport/ Pan card/Driving license/Photo Id card of Central/State Government/Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized School/College for their students/Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph/Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph.) during train journey in original and same will be accepted as proof of identity failing which the passengers will be treated as travelling without ticket and shall be dealt with as per extant Railway Rules.
Tatkal Quota Tickets: Tatkal e-ticket can be booked one day in advance excluding the date of journey from the train originating station. Entry of ID card details is not required at the time of booking for Tatkal scheme. One of the passengers has to produce any one of the prescribed identity in original during the journey, failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly.
Note: No refund will be granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal e-tickets.
General Quota E-tickets: There is no provision for specifying ID proof at the time of booking a general quota e-ticket.
Change of boarding station & change in name of E-Ticket passenger :
For getting these facilities, customer can now approach the nearest Railway Reservation Office with ‘Electronic Reservation Slip’ print out and photo identity proof in original of one of the passenger traveling in the ticket at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train as per extant Railway rules.
Passengers should note that reservation offices can change ‘Boarding Station’ and ‘Passenger Name’ against a request from the passenger as per extant railway rules applicable to other face to face counter booked tickets.
Facility in the name change of passenger holding confirmed e-reservation has been permitted as per extant Railway rules noted as under:-
(a) Where the passenger makes a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train to the nearest Railway Reservation office. It can be transferred to another member of his family, meaning, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Husband and Wife. He should bring the ‘Electronic Reservation Slip’ print out along with photo identity card proof in original & a proof for blood relation desired to be changed. (b) Where the passenger is a Government Servant proceeding on duty and appropriate authority, makes a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train. Such request will be granted once only.
For the convenience of rail passengers, the Northern Railway in association with other Zonal Railways has released a list of daily, weekly, bi-weekly and tri-weekly Summer Special Trains which will ply till July this year.
The notice of the Northern Railways has alerted the passengers to buy tickets from Railway Counters or authorised rail travel agents only and not fall prey to touts.
Note: For details related to stoppages of trains etc, passengers are requested to contact Railway Enquiry No. 139, nearest Railway Station or visit Railways website www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in.
Here’s the list of all the Summer Special trains:
The Goa package offer kicked off in October last year and is valid till June 2019. The journey starts every Friday from Mumbai.
Onward journey - Every Friday from Mumbai by Train no 10111 (Konkan Kanya Exp)
Return journey - Every Monday from Madgaon/Thivim by Train no. 10104 (Mandovi Exp)
Package Inclusions:
Return Train fare: For Comfort - 3AC & For Standard - II Sleeper Class.
Railway Station transfers.
Meals: (3 Breakfast and 2 Dinner )
Land transfers would be in an AC Vehicle with seating capacity as per the group.[Seat preference is not guaranteed.]
Accommodation: Hotel stay - 2 Nights stay at Goa
All sightseeing and excursion as per the itinerary.
All applicable taxes.
Note: For Child with extra bed & triple sharing occupancy extra mattress will be provided.
For cancellation of your ticket, please log in to your account, select the Tour Confirmation Number of the ticket you wish to cancel and cancel your ticket from your booked history on line. Cancellation of your Ticket is possible only on the website www.irctctourism.com, and is not possible on PRS Counters.
CLICK HERE FOR PACKAGE DETAILS
'Mission Raftaar' was announced in the Railway Budget 2016-17 and envisages a target of doubling average speed of freight trains and increasing the average speed of all non-suburban passenger trains by 25 kmph in the next five years.
Forty-nine new trains, which have already been introduced, have been added in the new time table. These are- one Vande Bharat Express train, 34 Humsafar Express trains, 11 Antyodaya Express trains, two Tejas Express trains and one Uday Express train.
The national transporter has also maximised the use of rolling stock. A review of the lie over periods of rakes at different destinations revealed that rakes of some of the trains were idling at the terminals.
Some of these have now been utilized for providing 40 new services, extension of 21 services and increase the frequency of 8 services. All these have been incorporated in the new time table.
The railways also said that it has replaced 141 short distance passenger trains, especially having reversal enroute, by Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMUs) and Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) in 2018-2019, thereby increasing the overall mobility of the system.
The movement of 27 pairs of trains has been rationalized through adjacent/satellite terminals to obviate the need for reversal of locomotives.
To improve the travel experience, a total of 411 pairs of important long distance trains are now running with LHB coaches, thus improving the passenger experience.
Indian Railways has taken many measures for the benefit of passengers, which includes the following:
1. Augmentation of on-board capacity by attachment of additional coaches, running of special trains during festivals and holidays, running of Suvidha trains etc.
2. Offering of 10% discount in basic fare on vacant berths/seats booked after preparation of first reservation charts.
3. Offering of graded discount in flexi fare trains and Humsafar trains, where class-wise occupancy is less than 60%, 4 days prior to scheduled departure of the train.
4. Augmentation of ticket selling capacity through mobile ticket booking, operation of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM), utilizing the services of ticketing agents like Jan Sadharan Ticket Booking Sewaks (JTBS), Station Ticket Booking Agents (STBA), Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra (YTSK) etc.
5. Expansion of digital payment modes like net-banking, credit/debit cards, e-wallets, Unified Payment Interface (UPI)/Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) to enhance passenger convenience
6. Introduction of Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) known as VIKALP to provide confirmed accommodation to wait-listed passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation.
7. To facilitate second class passengers, sleeper class coaches running underutilized have been de-reserved on a particular section as second class unreserved on second class fare as well as sleeper class unreserved.
8. In case of AC-III tier coaches running vacant during day time over a particular section, the power has been delegated to Zonal Railways to declare such AC-III tier coaches as AC chair car on AC chair car fare.
"The Indian Railways does not have any proposal to increase passenger fares. At present, there is no such proposal with regard to a hike in railway fares," a senior railway official said.
"There is no authenticity in news reported by some media houses that Railway is planning to enhance passenger fares from January 6, 2021, for special trains and gradually implement the same in regular trains," the official added.
Very soon, the Railways is likely to resume operations of regular trains suspended since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, however, a few national media reports said that fares of many trains are being increased from January 6. Citing fresh guidelines of the Indian Railways, it was stated that reservation of seats is mandatory and a reservation fee of Rs 15 will be included in all the ticket prices.
Even during October last, several reports were doing rounds claiming that there will be a hike in rail passenger fare during the festival season. However, the Indian Railways issued a clarification denying all claims of a fare hike. “News regarding a hike in rail passenger fare during festival season is misleading and erroneous. As per rules, the fare for special trains run during peak demand seasons like the festive season, the summer holiday season is different and higher than regular mail or express time-tabled trains," Railways clarified.
It is to be noted that the Indian Railways had issued an order in December 2019 announcing fare hike across its network, excluding suburban trains, from January 1, 2020. While suburban fares remained unchanged, ordinary non-AC, non-suburban fares hiked by 1 paise per km of journey.
The Railways had also announced a two paise/km hike in fares of mail/express non-AC trains and four paise/km hike in the fares of AC classes. Premium trains like Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Duronto trains were included in the fare hike.
The December 2019 order further mentioned that there will not be any change in the reservation fee and superfast charge and the hike in fares will not be applicable to tickets already booked.
Rubbishing reports in some section of media that Railways has been charging extra fares from passengers, the Railways said that such reports are misleading and not based on all the facts.
Festival or Holiday Special trains were started as per the long-standing practice to clear the rush. Festivals have been continuing and even today the harvest festival is being celebrated. This year there has been pent up demand in many sectors on which the festival trains were running. These festival trains have been continued to clear the rush.
The fare for such trains has been kept little higher since 2015, and NOTHING NEW is being done this year. This is an established practice.
It may be noted that passenger operations have always been subsidized by Railways, and it bears loss for travel by passenger. The Railways has been running trains in Covid times in most challenging circumstances, with low occupancy in many sections and is still operating in public welfare.
This apart, the Railways has taken special care about the travel by those travelling by lowest fare in trains so that even in Covid times they bear the least burden.
In all the trains that are being run, besides other classes, the trains have large number of 2S class coaches which has the lowest fare in the reserved category.
40 per cent of the passengers have travelled in 2S class in much better travelling conditions than pre-Covid, unreserved travelling situations. As per the policy, 2S passengers, even in special fare case are NOT charged more than additional Rs 15.
Indian Railways is constantly increasing the number of trains in a graded manner. Full restoration of regular services of passenger trains, to pre-Covid times, is to be considered keeping in view a range of factors and operational circumstances.
Indian Railways had to stop running of regular trains due to Covid related nationwide lockdown on March 22, 2020, as a measure to counter the spread of coronavirus. Trains are being added in a graded manner.
Even during challenging times of Covid, Indian Railways has operationalized almost 60 per cent of the Mail/Express trains as compared to the pre lockdown times. 77 per cent of these special trains have fares similar to regular trains. Around 250 trains daily are running as trains with special fares.
A total of 1058 Mail/Express, 4807 suburban services and 188 passenger trains are presently in operation average on a daily basis.
Health situation of States, views of the State Governments, etc will also be taken into account before kicking off normal operations. For the convenience of passengers, many trains are being run in spite of low occupancy. The number of special trains has constantly increased in a graded manner. The situation is being constantly monitored, stated the Railway Ministry.
READ | Railway Makes Big Announcement On Refund Of Fare, Ticket Cancellation