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Indian Rail Info

Railway Concessions Are Only To The Deserved…!!

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The Indian Railways is all set to start in a new phase. Luxury trains have come into wide use. Slowly and steadily, the existing system is being modified, to make its services effective. The rules of senior citizen quota and concession are revised to put an end to its misuse. The facilities provided to the senior citizens are extended in this regard. Men aged above 60 and women aged above 58 can avail concession of fare in any train class. This concession in fare is provided up to 40% for men and 50% for women.  These facilities provided to senior citizen’s isn’t just confined to the concession in ticket fares. Check out the other benefits provided in this context:

train seat availability

  • In the passenger reservation system (PRS), senior citizens and women above 45 years of age will be allotted with lower berths in the train.
  • Senior citizens, women above 45 years and pregnant women can be benefitted with a combined quota of two lower berths.
  • Much to the delight of the physically challenged people, wheelchairs are provided at railway stations.
  • There will be separate counters to issue tickets to the senior citizens at PRS centers.

The current system of booking is so designed that you don’t have to carry the proof of age when you are booking the tickets. However, you have to provide them at the time of inspection. You can provide any government issued identity card as proof of age. Failing to provide the age proof on demand, a fine, which is equal to the difference between the fares will be charged against the passenger. The Indian railways have found the services being misused in the following ways extensively:

  • While booking tickets, since the passenger doesn’t have to provide any age proof, he/she books the ticket by providing wrong age. Many a times they go undetected, which results in huge revenue loss to the railways.
  • The lower berths are booked under the disguise of senior citizens. When detected, the passenger pays the difference in fares.
  • The travel agents out there are highly exploiting these services. The tickets are booked under senior citizens quota and further these agents modify the age and fare in the e-ticket. The passenger fails to notice this and falls into their trap. It is because of such reasons, the Indian railways are trying hard to put an end to these agents.

Pay close to these aspects, when you are checking out for the train seat availability. In accordance with the above issues, the Indian railways have announced its modified rules. They are as follows:

  • The ticket fare is also included in the PNR status.
  • If any passenger is found misusing the senior citizen quota, that particular person will be treated as ticketless and charges are made accordingly.
  • If found guilty, a penalty is charged against the passenger in addition to the fare difference.

Clear instructions are also passed to the ticket checking staff regarding this issue. The staff members are expected to be patient when dealing with such passengers. The customers can report to the designated authorities if they are harassed by the ticket checking staff.

PNR Status

The Andriod Apps That Help You In Train Travel

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In India, railways are the chief means of transport for long distances. India has one of the world’s largest railway networks, and it provides access to the remotest corners of the country. The demand for the railways always stays on top. Dating back to a few years, you have to wait for long hours in queues either to get your tickets booked or track any other info. Of late, IRCTC is taking every step necessary to provide its passengers a comfortable journey. As a part of this, it has taken initiatives to provide your PNR status directly to your mobiles. If you have no idea on how to get PNR status on mobile, this is for you. Here below, we detailed a few android apps, which can help you to track the ticketing details.

PNR status and train info:

If you have your ticket in your hand, and this android app on your smart phone, your train journey can be a lot more comfortable. This is one of the most widely used applications to check the PNR status. Apart from fetching you the PNR status, this app also provides information related to train map, train schedule, seat availability, train availability, train between stations, fare enquiry, arrival and departure of trains.

Indian railway train alarm:

The key features of this app include PNR status check, booking and cancellation of tickets and monitor train schedules. The distinct feature of this app is that it alerts you about the train timings. This feature can be a lot handy, especially in case of late running of trains. It also facilitates the user to download the train schedules and keep them for further references. The amazing features of this app have fetched it the name “one station for your entire rail ticketing needs”.pnrst

IRCTC mobile:

After reading the name, you might mistake it for the official site. Though it is an unofficial site, it has gained a wide popularity for its ease of use and flexibility. If you feel that using android apps for tracking PNR status is something very new for you, start experiencing from this app. It shows the data in a completely optimized fashion, which puts the user to comfort.

Ngpay:

This is another unofficial and efficient application worth to be mentioned in this context. This application provides you the access to various banking and ticketing domains. To use it for railway ticketing purposes, select IRCTC section. This app allows you to pay money through your credit/debit cards. Once the ticket gets booked, the e-ticket drops directly into your inbox.

Indian Rail PNR status enquiry:

This will turn out to be one of the simplest android apps you ever used in this context. Once you provide your PNR number, this app generates the status of your reservation. This is going to be handy, especially when you are stuck in the waiting list.

Indian Rail Info:

If you are hungry for information, download this app without any hesitation. It gives you all the info like seat availability, train search, PNR status and any other rail or ticketing info you can mention. Answers for any type of basic or complicated questions can be generated in no time with this app.

If you are someone who travels by train very often, make sure that you have any of these apps installed in your mobile.

PNR Status

Did You Check Out the New Booking and Cancellation Rules….?

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In India, the railways are the backbone of long distance travelling. There are complaints against the tatkal booking system since a long time. Indian railways have come up with a new set of cancellation / refund rules putting an end to dissatisfaction among passengers. These new rules have come into action since 12th November 2015. It is aimed at the following aspects:

  • To prevent misuse of tatkal scheme.
  • To fulfill the proposed objectives like mobile tickets and paperless tickets to the passengers.
  • Put an end to the agents/touts in railways.

As a part of these modifications, the Indian railways have enabled UTS counters, where the cancellation requests are undertaken and the refunding process is carried out beyond the working hours of PRS. If you booked your tickets online, you will be refunded automatically. Prior to the introduction of this scheme, ticket deposit receipt has to be filed for the refund process.official indian railway

A few noteworthy changes are mentioned here under:

  • The cancellation charges for the unreserved, RAC and waitlisted tickets are doubled.
  • There is also a significant hike in the cancellation charges of the confirmed tickets.
  • In case of refunding on unused RAC/WL tickets the time limit is reduced to half an hour from 3 hours.
  • Cancellation of e-tickets no longer requires the filling of TDR.

Another important modification is that the passenger will not be refunded in case of cancellation of unused tatkal tickets. However, in some special circumstances like late running of trains, this rule will be exempted.

These set of new rules can help the Indian railways to use the seats optimally as the passengers have to cancel the tickets 4 hours prior to the departure to claim refund. The hike in fares can also put an end to the agents and touts who book the tickets on fake names and make money by selling them at higher prices. A significant growth in the revenue of the Indian railways can be observed as the cancellation charges are increased.

New booking rules:

The modifications are also extended to the booking policies, which have been effective from 12th November 2015. Check out the important feature of these modifications:

  • One can witness the final chart at least four hours prior to the departure of the train. This feature enables the passengers to plan well in advance for their journey.
  • Once the final reservation chart is on, booking counters will reopen on internet and on PRS counters. This can enable the passengers to book the available accommodation in the trains. If you wish to cancel your RAC/waiting list ticket, you have the time up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.
  • Just before departure of the train, a second and the final chart will be prepared and is made available to the ticket checking staff.

The implementation of these new policies has benefited the railways to a large extent. When you get to know your PNR status railway, make sure to have these changes in your mind.

Indian Rail Info

High Speed Trains Are Ready To Set The Tracks On Fire…!

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Indian railways, with its track line of 65,000 kilometers and operating 19,000 trains a day has turned out to be a key means of transport in India for longer distances. Introduction of high speed rails can take the might of railways to a next level. It can do a great favor to passengers, railways and is also to environment. These trains have speeds of about 300 kmph and can often cross the speed limit of 450 kmph. The countries which have well developed networks of HSR have witnessed a significant impact on various commercial aspects. Let’s have a deeper insight into these trains.

Opportunities and Hurdles:

Taking example of Japan, it has to face various financial, cultural and technological hurdles to make the bullet trains a reality. There are a lot of things, which India can learn from the experiences of Japan in this context.

  • Financial:

    “How much is it going to cost us..?” This is a common question which strikes everyone. Though it can’t be stated firmly, we can say that it requires huge fixed capital to get started. Comparing the costs of various HSR nations can give us a better picture of this aspect.

  • Technology: The Indian railways have to make use of advanced technology to lay new tracks, establish signaling systems, bring in new engines, design and manufacture electrical systems and compartments. Unlike the orthodox railways, these trains are to be completely isolated from the external environment. This is because the high speed trains can pull the people or cattle into it resulting in disasters.
  • Energy: These trains run on electricity. There are many advantages of using electrical energy and the one which worth mentioning is the low consumption of energy. Unlike other automobiles and aero planes, renewable energy sources can be used to power up these trains. One can easily estimate the operational cost and monitor carbon foot print.TH10_CHINA_HIGH_SP_1390388f

Advantages of High Speed Trains:

Energy efficient: Travel by rail is always the best means of transport for long distance travelling in dense areas or in places where the fuel cost is relatively high. High speed trains have proved to be highly fuels efficient per passenger per kilometer. In comparison to other vehicles of this kind, they can transport large number of passengers in a quick time.

Safety: These trains can be handled and controlled with ease. Its predictable course is the reason behind it. It is to be noted that the high speed rails can’t eliminate collisions but its chances can be minimized.

Convenience: These trains can fetch appreciable comfort to the passengers as they can move freely in the train while travelling. The change in weather has least effect on the train travel in this context. Major storms, heavy snow or fog can cause significant effect to these train travels. The vibrations are minimized by the continuously welded rails.

As the first step towards high speed rails, eight routes were identified across various parts of the country, which consists of major cities like Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Chennai, Hyderabad, etc. On completion of this project, you can experience this amazing journey by tracking the current train status of these high speed trains in the official website of Indian railways.

PNR Status

Make Your Train Journey Less Boring…!

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“100 stations will go Wi-Fi by the end of 2016”, you don’t believe us…? These words are said by the Google CEO Pichai himself. Isn’t this great news..? Let’s check out more about this here under:

Free Wi-Fi in railways:

Internet has turned out to be a great medium to connect the citizens of India, which is second highly populated country. As a part of this, the government in collaboration with Google has stepped forward to bring free internet to the railway stations. This isn’t going to be an easy task especially in our mighty railways. Initially, it is planned to bring internet connectivity to 400 stations across India and making this come true, the plan for the first hundred stations has been announced. An agreement has been signed between the Railtel and Google regarding this project. This project will be evaluated at the end of 2016 and necessary steps will be taken to successfully complete it. The key points to be worth to be mentioned in this context are as follows:Google-will-provide-Free-Wi-Fi-across-400-Indian-railway-stations

  • Pan-India optic fiber network, which has laid over 45,000 km of optic fiber network, is utilized by the Google to accomplish this task. The ISP will be provided by the Railtel and the WAN will be taken care by the Google. It is to be noted that this internet access is confined only to platforms and trains are not included under this project.
  • The speed and efficiency are given utmost importance. The users can watch HD standard streaming videos.
  • If you wonder, if this service is free of cost, you are not the only one who thinks of it. Taking example of airports, the Wi-Fi is free only for a limited period of time and there are chances that the same can be applied to the railways. This project can last for a longer period of time, only it can manage to explore different revenue models.

How can the free Wi-Fi benefit us..?

  • The first thing that strikes many passengers, when they hear the combo of railway and the Wi-Fi, is checking the railway pnr status Many times, you may have to constantly monitor your pnr status and it could be a hectic task without internet access. All that you need to do is, visit the official site of Indian railways, enter your pnr number and get the status.
  • The foreign tourists can be highly benefited by this service. It can help to explore information, which can make their plans easier. This has an indirect impact on the Indian tourism.
  • Fraudulent touts and middlemen have become an albatross in major railway stations. Free internet access can completely put an end to these anti-social elements and ensures high safety.
  • Students extensively use trains to travel. This project can help them to use their time effectively. Isn’t this a step towards smarter India…?

There are many hidden benefits of this project which has direct and indirect impact on various issues. The biggest advantage is that, your waiting time for the train will be less boring..!

PNR Status

Did You Notice These Changes Made By Indian Railways..?

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The annual budget of Indian railway attracts the attention of all sections of the people. Such is the prominence of railways in India. Did you notice some incredible steps taken by Indian railways this year…? If you missed them, here they are:

Introduction of semi-luxury trains:

The semi-luxury trains were implemented mainly as tourist attraction in India. Initially it is scheduled to two train services under the names desert circuit and heritage circuit. As the name suggests, desert circuit covers Rajasthan cities Jaisalmer and Jaipur. The heritage circuit is scheduled to travel places Varanasi, Khajuraho and Agra. The introduction of these trains is expected to bring significant impact on the occupancy. Attractive packages are also being announced for these trips.train-10_082512115535

Double decker train:

India’s first double decker train is scheduled to travel between Mumbai and Goa. It is estimated that each coach of this train would cost about Rs.2.08 crore. These trains are scheduled to travel in about 10 different routes in India like Ahmadabad-Mumbai, Chennai-Bangalore, Pune-Mumbai, Lucknow-New Delhi etc. There has always been a demand for these trains in major cities of India. The frequency of these trains is also set to increase as per the requirements.

CNG train:

In its efforts to reduce the diesel consumption, the railways have determined to start CNG trains. The first train of its kind has started in the Rewari-Rohtak section of northern zone. This train has a dual fuel system and can run on both diesel and CNG. If this plan is implemented on a full length scale, it can cut down the emissions of green house gases to a large extent. The ministry has also aimed at the implementation of solar and wind powered trains.modified-1400-hp-engine

Visually impaired friendly railway station:

This is another significant move by Indian railways this year. Mysore railway station has become the first ever visually impaired friendly railway station in India. The tactile maps locating the entrances, washrooms, counters and platforms were made available. The dead ends are signified by using various constructional materials. A separate menu in the canteens written in Braille is prepared. Sides to turn, current location and other such details are also communicated in this script.

Share your ideas:

You can also play your part in the changing trend of Indian railways. For the first time ever in the history of India, the railways have opened gateways for the ideas and suggestions of public. This step is expected to play a key role in its forthcoming budget. You can suggest on various issues like crime prevention, disaster management, electrification, computerization and safe running of trains. The innovative ideas will be given top priority in this context. Every time you enquiry about the train status, you might have felt that some changes in frequency of trains, augmentations or in train extensions can bring comfort to the passengers. It’s time to share those ideas. January 15, 2016 is the last day to submit your ideas.

Don’t just sit there… It’s time to show your mark on our railways.

Railway Reservation Rules

The different types of trains in India!

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India is a diverse nation, and it takes immense pride in its very large railway network, which also happens to be the second largest network of the world. The railways are continuously developing and evolving to new heights. Most Indians prefer travelling by the train due to several reasons. The fares are much more affordable compared to the soaring high priced tickets of the flights. Also, Indian rail reservation is an easy online process and saved people a lot of hassle. Here are the various types of trains offered by the Indian railways. Let’s take a journey through them.12261_Howrah_Duronto_Express

Duronto Express – Known as the fastest train in India. If you want to save time and want a train, which runs at a very fast speed, then your priority should be the duronto express. It was introduced only a few years ago and has several facilities such as serving of food, distributing napkins and blankets, serving snacks, etc. The train’s outer design is distinct from other trains. Also, apart from a very few technical spots, this train does not stop at any station in between the station source and station destination. This train by far is the fastest way to travel by land in the country.

The Rajdhani Express – This is the good old train. The Rajdhani Express is one of the oldest operating trains in India. It is considered as a train, which provides both speed as well as luxury. After Duronto Express, this is the second fastest train in India. Unlike Duronto, the Rajdhani Express has a few station halts and this is why it takes a little more time than the Duronto Express to cover the same distance. This train was launched back in the 1960s to connect the capital Delhi to other parts of the country.

rajdhani-express

The Shatabdi Express – If you do not like the idea of travelling by bus, the Shatabdi Express makes for a good alternative. The train connects all the parts of the country to the major cities. However, the Shatabdi mostly runs during the day and only a few trains run overnight. The Shatabdi unlike other express trains does not have a sleeper class. The arrangement inside is somewhat like that on a flight. The Shatabdi is best for short distance travellers. You can buy a ticket for this train even at the last minute. No reservations need to be done days in advance.

The Garib Rath Express –This is a newly introduced express train that has 3E ac classes. A few of these trains also comprise of CC coaches. This is the first ever train, which has a 3E class. It has an additional side berth unlike the other trains. This is a fully air conditioned train and is especially for those who cannot afford the high rates of tickets of other express trains. Garib Rath is an implication of chariot of the poor.

So, now if you know which train suits your destination, time and budget, get set go! Happy journey!

Railway Reservation Rules

5 Trains in India which travel the longest routes!

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The Indian Railway network is unbelievably large. As you may know already, it is the world’s second largest railway network with thousands of trains and stations. The railway carries over 9000 million passengers each year. Most Indians prefer this mode of transport for its affordable ticket rates and also because availability of seats in train is not much of a problem with so many trains running to and fro the same place. The starting point of trains in India is Jammu and it travels till the Kanyakumari tip. Let us meet some trains, which cover the longest routes in the country.

The Vivek Express – There are a total of four different Vivek trains, which run on the railway network. These trains were initially introduced to pay tribute to the legendary Swami Vivekananda and hence the name Vivek. The longest route covering Vivek Express is the one which starts from Dibrugarh in Assam till Kanyakumari in the south. This is the longest distance in India and globally it is the 8th longest in terms of both time as well as distance.

The Himsagar Express – The second longest route in India is taken by the very old Himsagar Express. The route is the second longest in terms of time and distance. The train starts from the southernmost tip of the country, i.e. Kanyakumari and ends at Jammu Tawi. It covers an approximate area of 3500kms. If you every board this train, you will cross a total of 9 states on your journey! It is like traveling most of the country on wheels of the train.indian-railway

The Navyug Express – The Navyug express started operating only a few years ago. The term Navyug itself means a ‘new era.’ This train runs weekly from Mangalore to Jammu Tawi and in the railway network is the third train to travel the longest route in terms of the distance alone. The Navyug Express crosses 10 states in total. It is like an Indian expedition on the train itself!

The Dibrugarh Express – Can you imagine traveling on the train for 3 long days? Well, sounds very boring but hundreds of passengers aboard the weekly Dibrugarh to Yesvantpur Express to travel from Bangalore to Dibrugarh. The train takes three long days to cover the route. It is the railway’s fourth train to run on the longest route.

The Jammu Express – The Tirunelveli Jammu Express begins its long journey from Tirunelveli and ends at Jammu Tawi. This train runs only twice a week and the Indian railways has ranked it the fifth train to run the longest route in terms of the time and distance.

A traveler who knows how to turn the boring into interesting will always choose a train journey over flight irrespective of the time taken to cover the distance. There is so much one can do on a train journey, from reading, writing, playing and of course, making new friends from other parts of the country. So, it is time to take the long route and explore your country and people better.

Indian Railway Time Table

All you need to know about India’s first bullet train

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Indian Railways is a large rail network. If you ever see the irctc train schedule, you will find that the Indian railway network operates hundreds of trains daily and carries thousands of passengers. However, India is now looking forward to its next big train project, i.e. the bullet train
Recently when the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited India, a joint statement made by him and PM Modi announced the country’s first ever bullet train that will connect two of the most popular commercial cities in India, namely Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Initially, the bullet train was proposed to run in 6 different routes, namely Delhi to Amritsar, Patna to Delhi, Mumbai to Ahmedabad, Hyderabad to Chennai, Howrah to haldia and Cheenai to Ernakulum. However, it was only the Mumbai Ahmedabad route which cleared the feasibility test. All the rest were rejected.
Several people have asked why the government wants to spend crores of rupees on a bullet train when the condition of the existing railway network is already quite pitiable. This is because a large amount for the train is being given by Japan. This is not because Japan sees India as a developing country, which needs monetary help from other countries. This is because Japan’s bullet train technology. This it becomes quite natural that putting this money to use into any other project would be a waste.

TH10_CHINA_HIGH_SP_1390388f
This is how the bullet train is going to help the country –
Currently, there are over 70 trains which run daily from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and vice versa. This route has the busiest rail traffic in the country.
The route sees the most number of business travellers. This is because it links India’s two top commercial centres Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The bullet train will be a relief to many daily travellers.
The route crosses many major commercial cities such as Baroda, Anand and also the very important city of Surat. Surat is the world’s largest diamond polishing and cutting centre and also it is India’s largest textile centre. Thus, you can see how this project will be a blessing to all these commercial centres.
Also, this project is a part of the Mumbai Delhi industrial Corridor, which means a lot of investment and also employment will be boosted in this sector.
And as you all may already know, the Mumbai to Ahmedabad route has a flat terrain. The entire land is nearly at sea level, which will make the construction of the rail network much easy if compared to other terrains up north or down south.
Hence, we can see that a lot of sectors in the country will greatly benefit from the Ahmedabad Mumbai bullet train project. It would be foolish to pay heed to naysayers and let this sweet deal from Japan slip from our hands. This project will also help India to become technologically more advanced and will generate a lot of jobs and other prospects. So, are you ready to welcome the bullet train?

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2 Path Breaking Announcements by Indian Railways to End Travellers Woes

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Indian Railways is a pride for us. The large network that it has is envious. Indian railway pnr enquiry has also become easy these days as you can check it online on the official website. In fact not only that, you can also book your ticket online as it is easy and convenient.

You can Book your tickets using MobiKwik!

Using a mobile wallet has become an easy process of payment now. You are just a click away and all your work is done in some seconds. You can also book a train ticket by using this. This is the easiest way you can book a railway ticket from wherever you want. You can track the timetable of the trains and seat availability online and then book your tickets.

For booking your rail tickets, you can use the IRCTC Connect Android App in your mobile phone. IRCTC is the official Indian Railway website and has an e-zone, which makes things easy for the travellers. You can also book a ticket and pay through the MobiKwik mobile wallet, which is now the first payment option on the app.

pnr-status

In fact, the process of booking a ticket on an IRCTC App is so easy that daily around 30,000 tickets are booked online through this App. This regular buying of online tickets is the best possible way to assure your hassle free journey. After MobiKwik joined hands with IRCTC, the result has become even better. That is why the Government is also thinking to boost a wider option for digital money in India. There are a minimum number of 500 tickets, which are booked through MobiKwik per day with an average value of per ticket being Rs.700.

Now, you do not have to spend hours standing on a queue for your ticket.

Reservations for train berth for physically challenged passengers made easier

In fact, Railways has also made it easy for the physically challenged passengers. From now onwards, they have a concession over rail fares and allotments of berths in sleeper class under a provision that will ensure the middle berth for the passenger, who is accompanying them. To be more precise, there will be quota of two berths – one lower and other middle in the same cabin for a physically challenged and his companion respectively. These quotas are of 2 types where physically challenged person can take the concession only when accompanied by someone else, and second for those, who can go for the option of taking someone, who will accompany them throughout the journey. If there is no berth left under the quota on a specified date, then the railway department will automatically allot a lower berth for the physically challenged passenger and middle berth to the companion.

Thus, travelling is now easy for every one now. You can buy a ticket easily and pay through an online wallet. On the other hand, you will also get a preferable berth choice if you are physically challenged or accompanying someone, who has these issues. Indian Railways is looking for more developments that are needed immediately. They are also taking steps to make the railway tracks better and use developed engines.