Comfort facilities to passengers

1.  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.
2. Streamlining of Computerised Passenger Reservation System has been done to improve passenger convenience.
3. Indian Railways have undertaken new initiatives like introduction of Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme called ‘VIKALP’ to provide confirmed accommodation to waiting list passengers.
4. Initiatives like SMS based Alerts have been introduced to disseminate timely information to passengers in the event of booking, cancellation, status upgradation, delay, etc.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. State-of-the-art Train-set Vande Bharat services have been introduced between New Delhi – Varanasi and New Delhi- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. These trains have ultra modern features like quick acceleration, on board infotainment and GPS based passenger information system, automatic sliding doors, CCTV cameras, retractable footsteps, onboard Wi-Fi access, better interiors and Zero discharge vacuum bio toilets, etc.
9. Various premium train services like Humsafar, Tejas, Antyodaya, Utkrisht Double Decker Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY), Mahamana and coaches like Deen Dayalu and Anubhuti, which have upgraded interiors / exteriors and improved passenger amenities, have been introduced in service in various train services over Indian Railways (IR).
10. IR has also launched Project Utkrisht in order to improve the condition of ICF type coaches running in Mail / Express trains. Upgradation of 640 rakes of Mail / Express trains has been taken up under Project Utkrisht for improvement in patronized train services. Work in more than 360 rakes has already been completed under Project Utkrisht.
11. Twenty four smart coaches with ultra modern features like Smart Public address and passenger information system, Smart HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system), Smart security and surveillance system etc. have also been manufactured by Modern Coach Factory / Rae Bareli and have been inducted in train service.
12. In its endeavor to provide better and safer journey to the travelling passengers, Indian Railways have decided to proliferate/induct modern Linke Hofmann Busch(LHB) coaches and convert trains operating with conventional coaches by LHB coaches, in a phased manner. Presently, 531 pairs of trains on Indian Railways System are being operated with LHB coaches.
13. LED lights have been provided for better illumination in the coaches and provision has been made for cushioned seats with stainless steel frame in First Class and polycarbonate seats with stainless steel frames in Second Class in newly manufactured EMU coaches.
14. More mobile charging points have been provided in General, Sleeper and Air- Conditioned coaches.
15. Air-conditioned EMU services have been introduced on Western Railway and Central Railway. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Emergency-Talk Button have also been installed in EMU trains.
16. 1010 End on Generation(EoG) trains have been converted to Head on Generation (HoG) trains which will reduce noise and air pollution at stations and in trains. It is also expected to significantly reduce the diesel used in power cars.
17. Slow moving passenger trains are replaced with Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains. It will ensure better acceleration and deceleration of trains. 
18. 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.
19. Catering services are provided to passengers on trains and at stations through Pantry Cars, Train Side Vending, e-Catering and Static Units at en-route stations.
20. In order to provide hygienic and quality drinking water to passengers, approximately 10 lakh litres of Rail Neer (Packaged Drinking Water) is being supplied to passengers on Indian Railways per day. In addition, 1804 Water Vending Machines(WVMs) have been installed at 642 stations across the country to provide drinking water of prescribed standards at affordable rates.
21. Items of passenger convenience viz. books/magazines/ newspaper, medicines, chains, locks, toiletries, non-pharmacy items like dry/spray milk powder, PAD items(Proprietary Article Depot), PDW(Packaged Drinking Water) etc. are sold through Multi-Purpose Stalls at Railway Stations.

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

On Indian Railways, demand pattern varies train-wise, sector-wise, class-wise and during peak and lean periods. Trains running on popular and convenient timings with lesser stoppages and running time are generally well patronized and experience waiting list almost throughout the year.  However, other trains not having one or all of these features are chosen by passengers for travel only as a second alternative and may not be fully patronized. Further, during peak periods, the demand outstrips the availability and reserved accommodation especially in the trains running on popular routes particularly in upper class gets exhausted within short duration of opening of reservation. However, during lean periods and on other routes, confirmed accommodation is available for longer duration in most of the trains. 

Waiting list of trains 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. Further, with a view to providing confirmed accommodation to waiting list passengers and to ensure optimal utilisation of available accommodation, an Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme(ATAS) known as “VIKALP” has been introduced to cover all types of trains on all sectors. For this facility, waiting list passenger has to give an option at the time of booking of ticket and passengers with waiting list status at the time of preparation of first reservation charts are shifted to other trains, subject to availability of vacant accommodation.

Introduction of trains is an ongoing process on Indian Railways, subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, commercial viability, availability of resources, etc.  Indian Railways do not run trains on state-wise basis as railway network and trains run across state boundaries. 

This press release is based on information given by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.