Lok Sabha Question No. 579 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-20
Subject: Passenger Convenience
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 579 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2016

## PASSENGER CONVENIENCE

579.  SHRI OM BIRLA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  new  initiatives  undertaken  by  the  Ministry  in  making travel convenient for passengers;
- (b)  the  timeline  for  implementation  of  the  announcements made in  budget  especially  in  the  running  of  new  trains  and coaches in Tejas, Humsafar and Uday;
- (c)  whether  the  Ministry  has  implemented  new  facilities  to seek air ticket in lieu of an unconfirmed rail ticket and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  other  steps  taken  to  ensure  that  passengers  aren't deprived of travel due to unconfirmed ticket?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(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.579  BY  SHRI  OM  BIRLA  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  20.07.2016  REGARDING PASSENGER CONVENIENCE

(a):  With  a  view  to  facilitate  the  passengers,  in  recent  past, Indian Railways have taken various steps, some of which are as under:

- i. Introduction of the Alternate Train  Accommodation Scheme known as 'VIKALP' to give option to waitlisted passengers  to  shift  to  alternate  train  having  vacant accommodation.
- ii. Provision of facility to physical handicapped persons to book reserved tickets online.
3. iii.
4. Introduction of paperless unreserved tickets on mobile.
5. iv.
6. Provision of All India 24x7 helpline No. 138.
- v. Automatic refund of confirmed/RAC/e-tickets on cancellation of trains.
8. vi.
9. Launching of Hindi Portal of IRCTC.
- vii. Enhancement of Senior Citizen Quota as well as quota earmarked for physically handicapped persons.
- viii. Making provision in the system for preparation of reservation charts at least four hours before the scheduled departure of train.
- ix. Provision  of  facility  to  book  available  accommodation after preparation of first reservation chart through internet as well as across any computerized PRS counter.
- x. E-ticketing facility to foreign debit/credit cards for foreign tourists and non-resident Indians (NRIs).

There  is,  however,  no  proposal  under  consideration  to reduce the cancellation charges for confirmed tickets. (b): The announcements made in the Rail Budget 2016-17 are being monitored to ensure their implementation at the earliest. A large number of announcements have already been implemented or action initiated to implement them, some of which are enhancement of Senior Citizen Quota, Extension of 'VIKALP' Scheme, ticket booking through international credit/debit  card,  cancellation  of  tickets  through  Railway Enquiry  No.139,  extending  e-catering  services  to  all  408  A1 and  A  class  stations,  availability  of  adequate  wheel  chairs, enforcing reservation in catering units to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Class, Women and Divyang etc.,  making  mandatory  catering  services  optional  in  trains, availability of children's menu items on trains as well as baby food  at  stations,  exploring  the  feasibility  of  providing  an option to the customers for drinking tea in Kulhad etc. (c): Ministry of Railways has not proposed any such scheme. (d):  Waiting list of train is monitored on regular basis and to cater  to  additional  rush  during  peak  periods,  special  trains are run and load of existing trains are augmented subject to operational feasibility.

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