In a move to counter the Garib Rath, a super-fast train introduced by ex-railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to provide air conditioned travel to the passengers who are unable to afford expensive tickets of other trains, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced the low-cost Yuva trains offering a YUVA quota applicable to unemployed youth of the country.

Despite the politics, both these trains came out to be excellent means of transport for the common man even offering explicit enquiry system for the convenience of the passengers. The Garibrath and Yuva train enquiry can be done from the Indian railway’s website or from the IRCTC website. The Garibrath and Yuva train enquiry can also be done through telephonic services offered by the Indian railway. Toll free numbers 131 and 139 are available for the passengers. Garibrath and Yuva train enquiry services are also offered through sms. The sms to 57886 can answer all your queries. For the passengers not so technologically advanced, officials have been appointed at various stations to help them with their Garibrath and Yuva train enquiry.

Thus, owing to both the railway ministers, Indian people got two trains as affordable and fast means of conveyance leading to the overall benefit of the people.

Indian Railways, one of the largest in Asia, is one management who has never left any stone unturned for the convenience of the passengers. We can be sure of this just by looking at the enquiry services it offers to its passengers.

The Indian Railway train enquiry system initially comprised of the enquiry offices at various stations all over the country. Owing to the long queues and quos created by them, the railway management came up with telephonic services. The Indian Railway train enquiry telephonic services offered both manned and pre-recorded services. Initially, only a few manned numbers along with 131 as the country wide toll free number were launched but with the increasing use of phones, mobiles, another number 139 was also launched. With the rapid technological advancement, the need for an online system was felt and then the Indian railway train enquiry system came up with the website http://www.indianrail.gov.in/. The latest addition to the Indian Railway train enquiry is the SMS service in which we can send an SMS to 57886 through our mobile phone to get any information on the Indian railways.

Owing to all these services, the Indian railways have proved its dedication towards service of the passengers and its countrymen.

India being a country with majority of the population still residing in the rural areas, a need for an affordable means of conveyance always exists. The Indian Railway offers trains like Jan Shatabdi Express, a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express having both AC and non-AC accommodation.

The Indian railways have 25 Janshatabdi trains. These trains were introduced to mark the centenary celebrations of Indian Railways. They are fast moving trains connecting various important cities of the country and these trains runs mainly during day time returning to the origin on the very same day itself. Moreover, since these trains connect short routes, they have chair cabins and not the sleeper system.

Regarding the Janshatabadi Train enquiry system, the enquiry can be done onboard from the stations. Moreover, Janshatabadi Train enquiry can also be done through the Indian railway enquiry number 131 and 139. Since these trains run in different parts of the country, for manned telephonic Janshatabadi Train enquiry, different numbers depending on the place exists. Also, Janshatabadi Train enquiry can be done through the Indian railways website which has a special section for the Janshatabadi service http://www.indianrail.gov.in/jan_shatabdi.html. For convenience of the passengers, e-ticket service is also available through the IRCTC website.

Mr Vinay Mittal took over as the new General of South Eastern Indian Railways at its headquarters in Kolkata today. Before joining South Eastern Indian Railways he was the General Manager of the North-Western South Eastern headqartered at Jaipur. Mr Mittal is an officer of Indian Railways Traffic Service. He has worked in various capacities all over the Indian Railways including as Additional General Manager, Central Railways, Divisional Railways Manager, Bilaspur, Chief Passenger Transportation Manager, Chief Freight Transportation Manager, Chief Commercial Manager and Chief Operations Manager of Central Railways and Executive Director, Traffic Transportation Movement in Railways Board. He is credited with huge improvements in freight loading and punctuality performance in Central Indian Railways and North-Western Indian Railways.

Indian Railway passengers need not book a new ticket if they have to advance or postpone their journey. Instead they can get the date changed on the ticket already booked by them. The Indian Railway Reservation scheme of Railways to advance or postpone a train journey on a booked ticket has been existing for long but not many know about it. Most of the passengers get their original tickets cancelled and book new tickets. In case there is a change in the date of journey a passenger can get a modified Indian Railway ticket by only paying the reservation charges. No cancellation charges though depending on conditions are deducted. It is of help when one needs to change the date of journey at the last moment. The scheme provides for the advancement or postponement on a reserved RAC or wait-listed ticket. New rules of this scheme came into effect in January 2006. Before that passengers had to get their journey postponed at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train for which the ticket had been booked. The postponement was allowed in the same class in any other train on the same day or any subsequent day provided seats were available in the train sought by the passenger. However under the modified rules passengers can get the date of journey on confirmed tickets postponed even if RAC or wait-listed accommodation is available in trains in which they want the altered reservation. A passenger can seek changed reservation for the same day or any other day. Besides changed reservation can be obtained for a destination longer than the one specified in the original ticket. However the advancement or postponement of journey is allowed only once on the original ticket. And this is not applicable on tatkal quota even after paying tatkal charges.

For the first time Indian Railways has extended the facility of AC-3 tier travel pass for the family of the lowest grade employees of the Indian Railways like the gangmen, khalashis, etc. Employees of Group D in the Indian railways were earlier not entitled for travel pass in AC compartments. Revised entitlement of travel on Indian railways passes has also been extended to all Junior Engineers and their supervisors working in the grade pay of Rs 4200 and they have been provided entitlements to travel in AC 2 tier coaches.

Senior citizens and women passengers travelling on the Indian Railways will soon be able to book luggage trolleys in advance by calling up a designated telephone number. Once they arrive at the station a uniformed Rail Yatri Sevak holding a placard with the trolley number will provide them the service for a price. The facility will also be available without advance booking. In line with Mamata Banerjees Rail Budget announcement the Indian Railway Ministry is all set to introduce modern luggage trolleys at important stations across the country. However in true Banerjee style the pilot project for this facility has been sanctioned for Howrah and Sealdah railway stations in her home state West Bengal.

Under the project State Bank of India is being roped in to provide the trolleys and engage the Rail Yatri Sevaks. These  Sevaks of Indian Railways will be entitled to charge a fixed amount as trolley charges directly from the passengers. The zonal railways will decide the trolley charges taking into account the local conditions of an area and will also ensure that the charges are prominently displayed at the platforms. Indian Railways will depute supervisors on the platforms to monitor the facility round-the-clock.

The Rail Yatri Sevak will wear a prescribed uniform and will carry an identity card and a badge. For the trolleys that are booked in advance on phone a specific Rail Yatri Sevak will be assigned to handle the passenger who booked the service. On the platform the Rail Yatri Sevaks will hold a placard displaying the trolley number to help passengers identify the assigned trolley. Passengers booking this service in advance will have to furnish their PNR details for verification. Indian Railways will also set up a separate counter at platforms to enable passengers to avail this service when they arrive at the station.

The Indian Railways or the Indian train service is the most popular way of traveling almost anywhere in India. The Indian Railways serve millions of commuters on a daily basis. Many of them book their tickets well in advance. This is why the Indian Railways have a really efficient Indian train enquiry service.

This Indian train enquiry service is an integral part of the Indian Railways website. The website offers information on the trains fare. It also allows the travelers to check their Indian Railways PNR status. The train enquiry service on the Indian Railways website allows the travelers to enquire about the various Indian trains, their timings, the PNR Indian Railways status and the approximate trains fare.

There is a user friendly Indian train enquiry page on the website. The page provides the users with a way to conduct an enquiry about their train, the ticket’s availability as well as other important information like the trains fare, PNR Indian Railways status. All this can be availed with the help of the Indian train enquiry service.

Apart from the website the train inquiry service and the PNR Indian Railways status is also available through the telephone. The travelers can simply dial one of the many toll-free numbers that offers train, trains fare and ticket enquiry.

The travelers have to simply dial the numbers 1331 and 1332 from a BSNL or MTNL telephone number. The Indian train enquiry service offers a recorded message providing information on the arrival and departure of the train for which the caller requires some information. There also are live help lines that help the callers to consult an expert executive about some enquiry that he or she has about a particular train or the trains fare.

These Indian train enquiry phone numbers can offer information as to how late a particular train is running. The callers can also dial 139 from a MTNL or BSNL telephone to enquire if a seat is available in a running train and can punch in their PNR number get the PNR Indian Railways status. The callers can even use the service to find out the status of their ticket.The fact is that the Indian train enquiry has become much easier with time.

Indian Railways is the highest employer in the world in the public sector. There are more than a hundred thousand employees who are associated with Indian Railways. At present, the Indian Railways has trains running to almost all the towns across the country. The tracks which are present are 70 percent laid down by the British during their regime. There has been only 30 percent which has been laid down by the administration of India. The Indian Railways have the Indian Railways Tourism and Catering Corporation which serves for the amenities of its passengers. There are a whole lot of facilities that this corporation provides for its passengers. Also there is a possibility of booking the tickets online which is the latest feature of the Indian Railways. This feature is helping a whole lot of passengers from various remote destinations. With the advent of internet and the technological advancements, one can very well say that Indian Railways have made the maximum use of the same. The Indian Railway tourism and catering corporation have now introduced their Beta website which is a striking feature. There are many advanced features which make the ticket booking process easier for the customers. The Indian Railways also has the feature to provide food and snacks for the passengers on demand. There is a pantry car which is present in most of the long distance trains which can be availed for by the passengers by paying some money. The Indian Railways have made the improvisations in the first class and the air conditioned coaches. There is more number of trains that are being operated during the festive times and during holidays. Trains to the remote destinations have been introduced in the recent past for the welfare of all the people. Thus the Indian Railways have always proved to be customer friendly.

Maoists blew up a railway track, disrupting rail traffic in Bihar’s Begusarai District.

The ultras blew up the track between the Tilrath and Begusarai stations.

The Saharsha-bound Kosi Express was about to leave Tilrath station, when they got the information of the blast.

One of the gatemen said Maoists had given him a poster that mentioned two bombs placed on the tracks. Maoists also asked him to inform the higher authorities about it.

“Ten minutes later, I heard a very loud noise. I ran towards the station and gave the poster to the station master, which they (Maoists) gave it to me,” said Ram Vilas Yadav, the gateman.

The blast created a large crater.

“The incident happened around 11.30 p.m. (local time). About one metre of the railway track has been destroyed and a crater of about one-and-a-half metres was created. When we were informed, the police force was there on the spot,” said R. K. Mishra, Section Engineer of Badhra Zone.

The workers repaired the tracks and the railway services resumed on Saturday morning. By Pawan Kumar (ANI)

news source – sify news