Looking for a little space to stand
Reserved seats get full within a few hours/days of the opening of the window and not a little space to stand in ordinary second class coach, thus the situation prevailing in almost all trains throughout the year. Look at the faces of the average person in search of just standing space in the train at Video and picture below, can we do something?
How come, with 200 to 300% overloading in a general coach, still it is a losing proposition for Indian Railways?
The railway is six times more energy-efficient as compared to road because of the fact that rolling resistance is very low in case of steel to steel as compared to tyre on asphalt road. Practically speaking, this should make travel by Rail not only financially viable but sustainable also. The passenger will always demand this advantage to be converted into financial benefit to him.
The cost of infrastructure for road does not fully charge to the passenger but marginally through road tax and toll etc. whereas situation is different in railways where every pie is charged to Railways only. Road transport is inefficient but still subsidized considerably by Government agencies all over the globe. Even with this as a scenario and no price hike for the last many years, Indian Railways could sustain all financial pressures. That indirectly proofs role of Railways towards sustainable development and energy-efficient mass transport.
The railways have not increased fares in the last 7 years, whereas the fare structure of road has increased considerably due to almost double of diesel prices. This involves a deeper study to find ‘how this could be possible’. The fare structure of road and rail was comparable in in 2005-06, therefore, during those years at least, passenger business should have been financially feasible but it was not said so. Why?
It is important for Indian Railways to prove financial viability of passenger travel taking full advantage of the fuel efficiency. Unless it is examined, there cannot be any justification for planning for high-speed travel for which the infrastructure cost is about 10-15 times more. How it can be financially viable.
Ordinary class travel constitutes more than 50% of the total passenger travel and certainly a developing sector, therefore demand for more and more trains every year. Why there are no national or international conferences to discuss these issues to benefit average man?
This is the first step towards passenger amenity to offer standing space to every passenger in the train towards his destination and faster means of issue of ticket.
50% of passenger traffic is hauled by electric and balance by diesel. Line haul cost of passenger traffic by electric traction is 144 as compared to 270 for diesel traction. This is one of the immediate options for sustainability.
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Looks as though capacity on the conventional network is priority,
i think railways is not optimally using its carrying capacity.i had mailed to railway board but in vain.
1) when there is great rush in ordinary ii class it is a wonder why side upper berth is nor provided ( it can exist in sleeper class why not here) and the upperbarths are rendered useless to sleep by keeping many holes in wooden plates used so hat these can e used only for luggage .
it is ridiculous and contradictory .when space for humans is limited luggage can below the seat s in sleeper class and three upper berths be cushioned ad marked for passengers holding tickets more than 150 kms. this will increase the capacity by 10% due to side upper berth.
2) a disadvantage of railway transport when compared to road ransport is that frequency is less. so management policies should be designed to mitigate this disadvantage .unfortunately current practices increase these these as follows..
a) on sections like Mumbai -Pune where frequency is good many trains are upcontry long distance . many berths fall vacant enroute pune . but mumbai -pune passengers have to travel only in ordinary class or pay entire berth charge. so many passengers are dissuaded. particularly in dn direction berths ae vacant till pune but passengers are not there to ocupy.
in sleeper class total 20 ( two per compartment of 8 berths) can be accommodated extra during day time (morning six to 22-00 p.m.) Railways should sell current sleeper class tickets at 25% extra than II class.anyway currently unofficially ii class ticket holders travel during day time in sleeper class. but with my scheme revenue is generated.these seats are not allowed for advance booking and advance boking can be only of berths. currently in absence of such scheme people overcrowd intercity day trains in Mumbai pune which inconveniences many passengers and they shift to road transport. also it means rains ply on track like mumbai -pune but passengers can not use them.
since more passengers are in mumbai -pune dsection railways will have to provide aditional day trains conjusting track which is not always possible.and feasible. so a vicious circle starts.
on the other hand on sections like solapur raichur solapur hyderabad there are no or few intercity trains and only long distance trains exist but general coaches are two crowded too board for passengers traveling say 200 kms and these passengers can not book berth as well as distance required is 320 kms.
so again these passengers get diverted to road transport.
further what this means is that poor rural passengers need to book berth ( as there are few intercity day trains) while richer urban passengers can travel with ii class reserved in intercity trains.
3) in day trains 3+ 3 seating arrangement is uncomfortable and a day coac is more rowded han sleepr coach or general coach of a long distance rain even with the same number of passengers as we are not utilizing upper deck space of berhs in day coaches.
so all day trains should have double decker caochjes only . the double decker coaches can accomdate 145 people and if one provides complete backrest rather than half back rest they ae more comfortable than present 3+3 croweded coacjes with 108 seats.
4) even in sleeper calss and 3Ac side middle berth be provided by lowering the height of side lower berth unlike lalus design. eo each compartment can hose 9 beryhs and two always for rac . currently rac passengers have to travel sitting now they can sleep . this increase capacity by 12% as two beryhs ae always rac. Lalu experiemt failed as he made 10 seats per compartment andf cnverted the good long berth into rac. if one avoids this and educes or redesigns side lower berth height we shall have a successful experiement.
with this i suggest more 3ac coaches with garibarth type fares and no bedding sets freely included in fare. ratio of 3 tier sleeper to a 3 tier should be 2: 1 rather than present 4: 1.
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Thanks Mr. Anil for having so much of belonging with Indian Railways. You have acquired immense knowledge about the problems of general coach passenger. I hope one day the problem will be addressed and we shall keep on compaigning the issue at all front. Good Luck
Neat analysis presented precisely , but the space constraint. problem. Is to redesign. Volume space vs seating area or.luggage space should be seperated. /eliminated., some augmentation can be achieved
The general class bogie need relook at.modify. seating area vs cross sectional areaof bogie
and eliminate luggage space.or shift it. More over general class in reserved
trains is the main drawback which creates this passengers rush to squeeze themselves
in any bogie. So increase bogies / only seating reserved mode will solve partly