Latest news with #Railway
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Uneconomical, impractical: Experts on Railway's decision to cap passenger waiting list at 25%
The Railway's decision to limit the passenger waiting list to 25% of the capacity of each class has been flagged by reservation supervisors, ticket booking clerks and some senior commercial officers as uneconomical for the railways and inconvenient for travellers. The Ministry of Railways, however, has justified the decision, saying less than one-fourth of the total number of waiting passengers get confirmed berths on an average and the 25% cap has been placed in view of that. "The decision was made after meticulously studying the waiting list confirmation pattern," said Dilip Kumar the Executive Director of Information and Publicity, Railway Board. He highlighted that earlier, there was an allegation that the Railways allowed a lot of passengers to book berths in the waiting category which led to crowding in trains. "It was also alleged that the Railways earned money on ticket cancellation." Refuting the charge, Mr. Kumar stressed the Railways was more concerned about passenger comfort than monetary benefits. The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) implemented the 25% cap decision on June 16 for trains with reservation facilities. This come around two months after the Ministry, through a circular, conveyed its decision on the matter to all principal chief commercial managers and the CRIS managing director. The April 17 circular stated, "The matter has been reviewed and it has been decided that the maximum current waiting list limit will be revised to 25% of the redefined capacity of each class available at originating as well as roadside stations." It added, "This logic will also be applicable for issuing of waitlisted tickets from remote locations as well as tickets booked under Tatkal scheme. This waiting list limit shall, however, not be applicable to the tickets issued on concessional fares, warrants etc." The circular directed CRIS to "make necessary modifications in the software and inform the date of effect to all zonal Railways." Railway officials said such a cap was in place earlier as well but more and more people were allowed to reserve seats/berths in the waiting category. For more stories on India Railways According to a 2013 circular, the waiting list cap on AC/EC and 2 AC classes was 30 and 100 respectively. Similarly, the first class, 3AC/Chair Car and sleeper class had 30, 300 and 400 waiting limits, respectively. Over a week after the implementation of new waiting norms, a section of experts as well as reservation officials termed the decision "impractical." "Waiting lists give a demand trend based on which we make decisions to run special trains. How will we do it now when the waiting lists of all trains will be capped at 25%?" said a retired senior railway commercial officer who termed waiting lists valuable data to make future decisions. Reservation supervisors said there have been cases in which owing to bulk cancellations, trains departed with some available seats and despite giving confirmed berths to all waiting list passengers, some remained vacant causing a loss to the Railways. "On one hand seats/berths remain vacant and on the other needy people are unable to travel," a supervisor said. "Agents often do bulk booking on routes high on demand. They go for cancellations before 48 hours of a train's departure so that they have to pay just the nominal cancellation charges. In such cases, there is a high possibility that availability of seats/berths will be created before the train's departure," another reservation supervisor said. He added, "This will create opportunities for brokers and touts operating at the current booking window at stations to mint money for passengers as they have prior information of berth positions due to their nexus with lower-level ticket booking staff." Some experts wondered how the Railways arrived at the 25% cap for roadside stations where the berth quota is two or three seats and supposed that it was decided randomly. "It is an ill-conceived decision to minimise the perception of crowding in trains by capping the waiting limits. Even if the aim of it is to minimise crowd in AC classes, it will not help as a prospective passenger can buy a general counter ticket and travel in AC classes. Normally, e-ticket waiting list passengers do the same," a senior commercial officer said. He added, "The Railways should introduce more trains on busy routes rather than bringing all these measures to hide actual demand of travellers."
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Business Standard
9 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Experts call 25% cap on railway waiting list 'uneconomical, impractical'
The Railway's decision to limit the passenger waiting list to 25 per cent of the capacity of each class has been flagged by reservation supervisors, ticket booking clerks and some senior commercial officers as uneconomical for the railways and inconvenient for travellers. The ministry, however, has justified the decision, saying less than one-fourth of the total number of waiting passengers get confirmed berths on an average and the 25 per cent cap has been placed in view of that. "The decision was made after meticulously studying the waiting list confirmation pattern," said Dilip Kumar the Executive Director of Information and Publicity, Railway Board. He highlighted that earlier, there was an allegation that the Railways allowed a lot of passengers to book berths in the waiting category which led to crowding in trains. "It was also alleged that the Railways earned money on ticket cancellation." Refuting the charge, Kumar stressed the Railways was more concerned about passenger comfort than monetary benefits. The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) implemented the 25 per cent cap decision on June 16 for trains with reservation facilities. This come around two months after the ministry, through a circular, conveyed its decision on the matter to all principal chief commercial managers and the CRIS managing director. The April 17 circular stated, "The matter has been reviewed and it has been decided that the maximum current waiting list limit will be revised to 25 per cent of the redefined capacity of each class available at originating as well as roadside stations." It added, "This logic will also be applicable for issuing of waitlisted tickets from remote locations as well as tickets booked under Tatkal scheme. This waiting list limit shall, however, not be applicable to the tickets issued on concessional fares, warrants etc." The circular directed CRIS to "make necessary modifications in the software and inform the date of effect to all zonal Railways". Railway officials said such a cap was in place earlier as well but more and more people were allowed to reserve seats/berths in the waiting category. According to a 2013 circular, the waiting list cap on AC/EC and 2 AC classes was 30 and 100 respectively. Similarly, the first class, 3AC/Chair Car and sleeper class had 30, 300 and 400 waiting limits, respectively. Over a week after the implementation of new waiting norms, a section of experts as well as reservation officials termed the decision "impractical". "Waiting lists give a demand trend based on which we make decisions to run special trains. How will we do it now when the waiting lists of all trains will be capped at 25 per cent?" said a retired senior railway commercial officer who termed waiting lists valuable data to make future decisions. Reservation supervisors said there have been cases in which due to bulk cancellations, trains departed with some available seats and despite giving confirmed berths to all waiting list passengers, some remained vacant causing a loss to the Railways. "On one hand seats/berths remain vacant and on the other needy people are unable to travel," a supervisor said. "Agents often do bulk booking on routes high on demand. They go for cancellations before 48 hours of a train's departure so that they have to pay just the nominal cancellation charges. In such cases, there is a high possibility that availability of seats/berths will be created before the train's departure," another reservation supervisor said. He added, "This will create opportunities for brokers and touts operating at the current booking window at stations to mint money for passengers as they have prior information of berth positions due to their nexus with lower-level ticket booking staff." Some experts wondered how the Railways arrived at the 25 per cent cap for roadside stations where the berth quota is two or three seats and supposed that it was decided randomly. "It is an ill-conceived decision to minimise the perception of crowding in trains by capping the waiting limits. Even if the aim of it is to minimise crowd in AC classes, it will not help as a prospective passenger can buy a general counter ticket and travel in AC classes. Normally, E-ticket waiting list passengers do the same," a senior commercial officer said. He added, "The Railways should introduce more trains on busy routes rather than bringing all these measures to hide actual demand of travellers. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
GMA Network
a day ago
- Business
- GMA Network
PH, US sign technical aid deal for Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway
The Philippines has tapped the United States for technical assistance in constructing the proposed Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway project. In a statement on Friday, the US Embassy in Manila said the American government, through the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), inked the Beneficiary Agreement for the initiative with the Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) in Arlington, Virginia on June 26, 2025. USTDA's technical assistance for the SCMB Railway would involve transport model development, port-rail integration study, and legal and institutional framework analysis, among other areas. The SCMB Railway is meant to link major ports in Luzon and decongest traffic at the Port of Manila. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the freight cargo railway also aims to decentralize Manila Port and provide the additional transport capacity needed at the Batangas Port and Subic Bay. "As a freight cargo railway, the SCMB Railway is seen to solve port traffic and congestion in Manila Port, while ensuring the timely movement of products to and from adjacent major transport hubs," Dizon added. Secretary Frederick Go, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, said the railway project would boost the government's plan of linking major economic hubs under the Luzon Economic Corridor. 'We are grateful for the support in advancing this crucial infrastructure project, which will drive economic growth by improving connectivity between major ports and industrial hubs along the Luzon Economic Corridor. Once operational, the SCMB Railway will attract investments, create new opportunities for businesses, and most importantly, generate quality jobs that will benefit millions of Filipinos,' Go said. Thomas Hardy, USTDA's Acting Director, for his part, said the project underscores the US-Philippine alliance's vital role in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 'By supporting the development of the SCMB Railway, we are ensuring that key infrastructure will flourish, increasing economic cooperation to develop an essential trading route that will mutually benefit American and Philippine citizens,' said Hardy. —Ted Cordero/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Community fund launched to support local Scottish groups
Launched by Scotland's Railway, the fund aims to help local groups across Scotland turn their ideas into reality, with grants of up to £3,000 available for projects that support the economy, promote equal opportunities, or improve wellbeing. The fund was launched on June 20 at Keir Hardie Memorial Primary School in Motherwell, which previously benefited from similar support to create outdoor learning and play spaces for pupils. Read more: Man hit by car amid 'targeted incident' on busy Glasgow road Glasgow MSP pays visit to care home as part of nationwide celebration Signage appears for global retailer's second Scottish store in Glasgow Liam Sumpter, managing director of Network Rail Scotland, said: "Connecting people is about more than building the right infrastructure. "Our dedicated community teams get right into the heart of communities, finding out what matters to local people, and helping to deliver positive change. "This new fund empowers local groups to address their specific needs that might otherwise go unfunded. "Whether it's refreshing community spaces, supporting young people, or launching environmental initiatives, we look forward to playing a part in their success." The fund is part of Network Rail's broader social value strategy, which also includes volunteering, school partnerships, and safety programmes. It is supported by partners including Story Contracting Ltd, AmcoGiffen, QTS, Siemen, VolkerRail, Taziker, Rail Systems Alliance, and SPL Powerlines. The fund will be managed and distributed by Foundation Scotland. Helen Wray, head of philanthropy and quality at Foundation Scotland, said: "We are delighted to be supporting Network Rail with the delivery of their new Rail Community Fund. "This partnership will help channel small grants to communities across Scotland, enabling local groups to deliver meaningful projects that strengthen community connections and bring positive change." The first application cycle opens on July 28, with successful applicants to be announced in early November. Eligible groups can apply through the Foundation Scotland website.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Railways during Emergency: Trains on time, but veterans also recall long working hours
Amidst several bitter memories of 21 months of Emergency in India 50 years ago, veteran railway employees recall mixed experiences during the period -- the praise received for trains running on time and the difficulty of long working hours with no avenues for grievance redressal. Veteran trade union leader Shiv Gopal Mishra said that senior officers were held responsible for the delay in train services, and that's why there was a huge focus on punctuality. "I remember an incident when some lower-level railway employees were suspended for lack of water in (the then Railway minister) Kamlapati Tripathi's saloon attached to the Kashi Vishwanath Express train. He used to perform puja in his private coach while travelling to Kashi, and during one of those days, water couldn't be pumped up, resulting in a lack of water in his coach," Mishra, who worked as a junior engineer at Lucknow station in 1977, said. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 30:13 Loaded : 0.29% 00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 30:13 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Ads By Google Ad will close in 29 Skip ad in 4 Skip Ad by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chuck Norris: If You're Over 60, Avoid These 3 Foods Like The Plague Roundhouse Provisions Watch Now Undo He added, "The rail administration suspended some lower-level workers for dereliction of duties. However, when the minister came to know about it, he immediately ordered the revocation of the suspension." According to Mishra, in those days, instead of penalising lower-level officers, action was taken against senior officials for late running of trains, due to which it was ensured with more alacrity that all trains stick to their assigned time of arrival and departure. Live Events Mishra, presently the general secretary of All India Railwaymen's Federation , said, "Besides my official position in Railways, I was a branch assistant secretary of the workers' union too." Cleanliness was also ensured, another retired railway employee, not willing to be quoted, said, adding that senior officers were asked to remain in the field for eight hours to keep a watch on the trains' working, stations and surrounding areas. "They ensured cleanliness because they knew they would be the first in the firing line. There were nine railway zones at that time, which have now been increased to 17. Also, trains were not as crowded as they are today," he said. "There was no corruption, so far as I remember, in the railways as officers were aware of severe action. Workers and senior officers were treated equally on the working hours front," he said. Mishra also felt that corruption was at its lowest point in railways among senior officials during the Emergency days. Retired loco pilot P Vijaykumar, who used to drive passenger trains in 1977, said that there were no fixed working hours for drivers and often they used to pilot trains for more than 14 to 16 hours and sometimes even 24 hours. "We were not able to negotiate with the government, hold meetings or do anything to raise the workers' demand," Vijaykumar said, adding that before Emergency, there was an agreement with the government to give a 10-hour shift to loco pilots.
