Lok Sabha Question No. 3111 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-14
Subject: Discontinuing Reservation Chart Preparation
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KIRIT SOMAIYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3111 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2018

## DISCONTINUING RESERVATION CHART PREPARATION

3111. DR. KIRIT SOMAIYA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Railways  has  done  away  with  pasting  reservation chart on reserved coaches recently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the logic behind this move;
- (c) whether this will not put passengers/senior citizens who are not tech savvy to locate his/her seat before entering the coach and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details of the alternative  arrangements  made  by  the Railways so that passengers know about their berth before entering a reserved coach?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (d) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3111  BY  DR.  KIRIT  SOMAIYA  TO  BE REGARDING

ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 14.03.2018 DISCONTINUING RESERVATION CHART PREPARATION.

(a): Yes, Madam. Based on a similar successful experiment conducted by South Western Railway, the practice of pasting of reservation charts on train  coaches was discontinued at New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Bombay  Central,  Chennai  Central,  Howrah  and  Sealdah  stations  of Indian  Railways  on  experimental  basis  for  a  period  of  three  months. Keeping in view the positive feedback received from Zonal Railways, it has  been  decided  to  discontinue  pasting  of  reservation  charts  on reserved  coaches  of  trains  at  all  erstwhile  A1,  A  &  B  category  of stations as a pilot project for six months starting from 01.03.2018.

- (b) to (d) : The logic behind doing away with the practice of pasting of reservation charts on reserved coaches is as under:-
- (i) Passengers holding confirmed ticket are aware of their coach/berth number as the same is indicated on the tickets at the  time  of  booking  itself,  except  in  case  of  First  Class  airconditioned class.
- (ii) At present around 65% of the reserved tickets are being issued through internet for which, mobile number is invariably captured on which an SMS is sent at the time of booking.
- (iii) Waitlisted and Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) passengers  get  their  status  update  on  their  registered  mobile number through SMS  at the time of preparation of first reservation chart which  is at least four hours  before the scheduled departure of the train.
- (iv) Digital charting system has been installed at major stations and at other stations manual boards are installed for displaying the status of the waitlisted tickets to guide the passengers.
- (v) Apart from the above, Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) service  through  139,  online  booking  website  is  available  for passengers for  checking  the  status  of  the  tickets  on  real  time basis.
- (vi) It will save the cost of stationery as well as savings on account of manpower involved in pasting of reservation charts.

In view of the reasons mentioned above, now there is no need for the passengers to check their reservation status through the reservation  charts  displayed  on  the  coaches.  Moreover,  reservation charts continue to be displayed on the station platforms for passengers including  senior  citizens  who  would  like  to  view  it  on  charts/  digital charts in all stations including A-1,   A & B category stations. *******