Centre for Railway Information Systems Launches New Enhanced Interface for Train Enquiry.

   Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the IT wing of Indian Railways, has developed an enhanced new interface for the www.trainenquiry.comfor dissemination of information to public. National Train Enquiry System (NTES) developed by CRIS is the backend system which collects information about train running on near real time basis and disseminates information through various interfaces like nationwide unique number 139, Website (www.trainenquiry.com), face to face enquiry, mobile interfaces etc. The new interface is accessible through www.trainenquiry.com or www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in.

   The new interface for the website was made public for past one week as field trial to get users’ feedback. The new interface, which offers quick and easy access to essential information for passengers, has been largely appreciated for its speed, simple interface and richness of information and smooth user experience. This new interface has been launched with effect from 6th September 2013.

Time limit for Advance Reservation by train reduced to 60 Days with effect from 01-05-2013.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)

No.2007/TG-I/20/P/ARP

New Delhi, dated 25.04.2013

The Chief Commercial Managers,
All Zonal Railways.

(COMMERCIAL CIRCULAR NO.34 OF 2013)

Sub: Time limit for Advance Reservation.

   It has been decided that w.e.f. 01.05.2013, the existing time limit for advance reservations by trains will be reduced from 120 days to 60 days (excluding the date of journey) as mentioned below:-

   i. With effect from 01.05.2013, the ARP will be of 60 days (excluding the day of journey) and bookings will be done accordingly. However, all the bookings done upto 30.04.2013 under the ARP of 120 days will remain intact.

   ii. Cancellations of the booking made beyond the ARP of 60 days will, however, be permitted.

   iii. There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are at present in force.

   iv. There will also be no change in the case of limit of 360 days for Foreign Tourists.

   2. Wide publicity through all possible means may be given for information of general public.

Sd/-
(Dr. S.K. Ahirwar)
Director Traffic Commercial (G)
Railway Board

Source: NFIR

Separate Reservation Counters for Women and Physically Challenged.

   Separate reservation counters are earmarked for ladies, senior citizens, former Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly, physically handicapped, accredited journalists, freedom fighters, if the ticket demand per shift is not less than 120 tickets. In case, there is no justification for earmarking of exclusive counter for any of these categories of persons including ladies/physically challenged persons, one or two counters depending upon total demands are earmarked for dealing with the reservation requests of all these categories of persons.

    Instructions are also there that at those reservation offices which have not been computerized and where separate counters are not in existence for ladies, female passengers should not be compelled to join the general queues and be attended to separately at the same counter as for general passengers.

   This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

PIB

Facilities for Ladies, Handicaps and Senior Citizens in Trains.

Facilities for Ladies, Handicaps and Senior Citizens in Trains
          
            For the convenience of female passengers, handicapped persons & senior citizens, Railways have provided the following reservation related facilities in trains:-
 
(i)                In all trains having reserved accommodation, a combined quota of two lower berths per coach has been earmarked in Sleeper, AC-3 tier and AC-2 tier classes for following category of passengers when travelling alone:-
 
a)                 Senior Citizens;
b)                 Female passenger 45 years of age and above; and
c)                 Pregnant women
 
(ii)             A reservation quota of two sleeper class berths has been earmarked in all trains running on non-suburban sections for handicapped persons performing their journey on handicapped concessional ticket.  The person accompanying the handicapped person as escort is also allotted the berth out of this quota.

(iii)           Specially designed coaches known as SLRD coaches with wider entrance doors to allow a wheel chair to enter, wider aisles and modified toilet with 4 berths, the lower two for physically challenged persons and upper berths for attendants have been attached in almost all Mail/Express trains except Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi Express Trains and Duronto Express Trains.  These coaches are treated as unreserved except in case of Garib Rath Trains.

(iv)           In Sleeper Class, a reservation quota of 6 berths is earmarked in Mail/Express trains for ladies irrespective of age travelling alone or in a group of female passengers.  Ladies special trains are also run wherever required and feasible.

(v)              Rear passenger portion of guard brake van (SLR) is also earmarked for ladies in certain Mail/Express trains for ladies passengers going without reservation.

(vi)           Accommodation is also earmarked for ladies & handicapped persons in Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU)/Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)/passenger trains.

(vii)         Accommodation is also earmarked for senior citizens during specified hours on suburban sections by Central & Western Railways.
 
   This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Condition of Carrying Identity Card Extended to All Classes of Reserved Train Tickets Including Reserved Second Class and Sleeper Class.

The New Provision will Come into Effect from Tomorrow (1st December 2012)
 
  

   The Move Aims to Facilitate the Travel of Bonafide and Legitimate Passengers and to Reduce the Scope for Misuse of Reserved Ticketing System by Unscrupulous Elements/Middleman
 
   The List of Prescribed Proofs of Identity has been Expanded to Cover More Variety of Photo Identity Cards for the Convenience of the Passengers
 
 
            In a major initiative to further facilitate the travel of bonafide and legitimate passengers and to reduce the scope for misuse of reserved ticketing system by unscrupulous elements/middlemen, the Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the condition of carrying original proof of identity during  train travel on reserved tickets issued through Passenger Reservation System (PRS) for all reserved classes including ‘Reserved Second Class (2S)’, ‘Sleeper Class (SL)’, ‘III Economy Class (3E)’ and ‘First Class (FC)’.  This change in policy will come into effect from tomorrow i.e.  1st December 2012.

Online Reservation of Train Tickets.

   The change in the timings of Tatkal was made effective from 10.7.2012. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website recorded its highest booking of 4.95 lakh e-tickets in a single day on 13th July, 2012. The average internet ticket booking was around 3.74 lakh per day in the month of October 2012.

   In case of fully waitlisted tickets on which all the passengers are waitlisted, the names of all the passengers booked on that ticket are dropped from the reservation charts and refunds are credited to the respective bank accounts. Refunds of waitlisted e-tickets are processed by the system and the money is credited automatically into the account of the concerned. For expediting the processing of confirmed e-tickets, on which refunds are sought after chart preparation, the following measures have been taken:

ID Proofs Compulsory During Train Journey in All Reserved Classes from 1st December 2012.

   With effect from 01.12.2012, one of the passengers booked on a ticket for undertaking journey in any reserved class will have to produce any one of the prescribed proofs of identity failing which all the passengers will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly.

   This provision shall, however, not affect the existing provision of Tatkal scheme where during the journey, the passenger is required to show the original proof of identity indicated on the ticket.

   The number of prescribed proofs of identity have been increased from nine to ten by adding following identity card to the list of prescribed proofs identity:-