The Indian railway has made a lot of changes in its system to make is better for everyone travelling through trains. They have adopted a lot of new technology to make the trains much more clean and comfortable for all the passengers. These changes have made travelling by trains much more pleasant than it was before. If proper facilities are provided in the trains, then train journey can be one of the more enjoyable journeys. Some of the recent advancements that have been made are quite supreme and appreciated by everyone.
DeenDayalu coaches
The majority of the people in India travel in the general class of a train. Previously, the general class was a terrible place. With the introduction of DeenDayalu coaches, the people travelling in the general class have been able to travel in a much better condition. These coaches have potable water available, bio-toilets and also charging points. Few other conveniences like cushioned luggage racks, coat hooks and additional hand hold near the doorways are also provided.
Executive lounges
In the New Delhi Railway Station five star waiting lounges have been set for the passengers to wait for their trains in a comfortable manner. They provide comfort like home and luxury like hotels at very reasonable prices. These executive lounges are available on various hotel booking sites too. The passengers can book their stay in these lounges beforehand by going online to these sites or even the official website of IRCTC.
Gatiman Express
In the era of aeroplanes which allow people to travel across large distances only in a few hours, trains can’t be left far behind. The Gatiman Express is a semi-high speed train which can travel a distance of 200 kilometers from Delhi to Agra in just 100 minutes. It has been equipped with a strong locomotive. Eight AC chair cars and two executive AC chair cars are provided for the travelers. Other safety equipment includes an automatic fire alarm, high power emergency brake system and a GPS based passenger information system. This train also has the facility of sliding doors in the coaches.
CNG train
The government is trying its best to be as eco-friendly as possible. So the Indian Railway is also adopting this nature. Turning to green fuel would be the best way to practise this. CNG trains have also been launched so that air pollution is reduced and other fuel can be preserved. This way the trains will contribute quite less to the emission of the greenhouse gases.
Privatisation of catering
The quality of food available on the trains is terrible. But taking your own foodis also not possible all the time. So, this was a big problem for all the passengers. But currently with the introduction of various start-ups that provide catering services for food for the train journey, the quality, and the service has become much better. People can choose from a large variety of food items on the menu from a number of restaurants in the cities and these people will deliver it to them on the train. People might also be able to order pizzas and burgers on the train.
Railways in India are one of the safest, stress-free and economical modes of travelling. Train travel needs reserving the tickets prior to the journey. Owing to a rise in the number of people opting for train travel, different booking ways have been recognised. Listed below are the modes of booking a train ticket:
Railway Stations
Reservations for train travels can be prepared at booking centres at numerous railway stations.
Online Booking
The developments in machinery have made booking tickets stress-free. IRCTC is the official railway reservation website presented by the Indian government. Instead, tickets can be booked and train plan can be tested via many travel portals.
For long distance trips, bookings are open 90 days fast of train departure. Yet, for short distance, bookings will be open only 30 days in advance. Here the choice can be complete between two types of tickets: i-tickets and e-tickets. The ticket will be provided via courier to the provided address in i-ticket and booking has to be done as a minimum two days in advance to the train departure. Distinct i-ticket, e-ticket gives the honour of booking until the last minute. Passengers have to carry a copy of e-ticket and a legal ID proof for the duration of the journey.
Once the booking is done, based on the Indian railway seat ease of use, tickets can have following type of position:
Confirmed – The seat is confirmed and allotted.
Reserved Against Annulment (RAC) – Failure to get an established seat may result in RAC. Maximum of the trains reserve 15 tickets for RAC travellers in each coach. An RAC ticket promises a person a seat but not a berth. However, if there are any terminations, on journey officers can assign a berth to an RAC ticket traveler created on the order of booking.
Waiting List – If all the seats on all trains are booked, then a coming up list status is encouraged on the ticket. It can be raised to RAC or confirmed status any time before departure built on cancellations. One cannot travel with a ticket on the waiting list.
Demonstrative – These tickets do not guarantee a seat, but allows train travel. They can be reserved three days in early payment and the passenger can travel in any general section.
Tatkal System
Its truly amazing Latest News the Tatkal system was introduced to help short notice or alternative train travel. Tickets can be booked 72 hours before the parting with a slight increase in the charge. There is no refund on cancellation or an option for name alteration in a ticket booked under Tatkal.