Lok Sabha Question No. 3783 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-11
Subject: Better Services in the Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Gopal Chinayya Shetty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3783 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2019

## BETTER SERVICES IN THE RAILWAYS

†3783. SHRI GOPAL CHINNAYA SHETTY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  prepared  any  action  plan  for making   several types of changes in the system so as to provide better services in the railways;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the said action plan has been finalized; and
- (d) if so, the details in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(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.  3783  BY  SHRI  GOPAL  CHINNAYA SHETTY TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 11.12.2019 REGARDING BETTER SERVICES IN THE RAILWAYS

(a) to (d) : Indian Railways constantly strive to provide better services to  its  vast  set  of  customers  through  proper  planning  and  system improvements on a continuous and an ongoing basis depending upon customer  feedback,  operational  feasibility and  financial viability. Various initiatives are taken from time to time by different departments of Railways to improve customer convenience.

In  order  to  cater  to  the  diverse  needs  of  passengers,  there has  been  a  continuous  expansion  of  various  on-board  and  off-board services  ensuring  greater  choice  and  variety  to  the  customers.  With respect  to  ticketing,  the  online  and  offline  ticketing  facilities  have been continuously diversified,  augmented and proliferated  to provide services  in  a  transparent,  accountable  and  user  -friendly  manner. Streamlining of Computerised Passenger Reservation System has been done to improve passenger convenience. Indian Railways have undertaken new  initiatives like introduction of Alternate Trains Accommodation  Scheme  called  'VIKALP'.  Initiatives  like  SMS  based Alerts  have  been  introduced  to  disseminate  timely  information  to passengers in the event of booking, cancellation, status up gradation, delay etc. Various passenger facilities/ amenities like, lifts, escalators, toilets,  battery  operated  vehicles,  wheel  chairs,  waiting  rooms,  Foot over Bridge etc. are being extended to more and more stations.

Special  emphasis  is  being  given  to  improve  cleanliness  and hygiene  on    stations    by  introduction    of    Mechanized    cleaning, awarding   of    Rag

picking and/or garbage disposal contracts, proliferation of pay and use toilets,  use  of  CCTV  for  monitoring  cleanliness  etc.  Railways  have proliferated discharge-less Bio-Toilets in coaches, along with Onboard Housekeeping  services  at  important  trains.  Certain  initiatives  like 'Coach Mitra' service, Clean Train Station (CTS) scheme, mechanized laundries etc are introduced for better services in trains.

New  Train-set  Vande  Bharat  and  premium  train  services  like Humsafar,  Tejas,  Antyodaya,  Utkrisht  Double  Decker  Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY), Mahamana and coaches like Deen Dayalu and Anubhuti, with upgraded interiors / exteriors and improved passenger amenities, have been introduced in service in various trains. IR has also launched Project Utkrisht in order to improve the condition of ICF type coaches running in Mail / Express trains.

Simultaneously various system improvements for freight services like computerization of Parcel service through Parcel Management system, Electronic registration of demand (e-RD), paperless  Electronic  Transmission  of  Railway  Receipt  (eT-RR)  and digital  payments  through  Debit/Credit  card  using  POS  machine  along with other online facilities have been implemented.

However changes in system improvements for provision of better services in the Railways is a continuous and ongoing process.

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