Indian Railway Updates of 2017: A Quick Recap

Well, travelling by train is no more the joy ride it used to be, thanks to the spiralling demand and crumbling infrastructure. But the Indian Railways has taken a few significant steps in 2017 to make it better for you. Here are some of them that you should be aware of.

Cash-on-Delivery

Now, you can book your train ticket online and pay the amount after the ticket is delivered to your doorstep. Simply download IRCTC’s app BookMyTrain on your Android or iOS phone, and avail other facilities like getting your updated PNR status as well as the running status of your train.

‘Book Now, Pay Later' Service

Your ticket booking experience under Tatkal is a lot easier now, thanks to IRCTC’s new scheme 'Book Now - Pay Later'. It offers passengers the option to pay only after the tickets are confirmed, as online transactions often don't get through due to IRCTC website's slow speed. Also, due to a cap on daily tickets under Tatkal quota, a single minute’s delay might mean no confirmed tickets for the passenger.

Eco-Friendly Initiatives

Going to Mumbai from Delhi by train? You can say goodbye to dirty towels and pillow covers. The Western Railways has introduced disposable, eco-friendly hand towels and pillow covers for the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bandra Rajdhani Express.

Read more: If You Haven't Been on a Toy Train, You've Missed Out on a Lot of Charm

SMS Alerts

The Indian Railways has initiated a new SMS facility for Rajdhani and Shatabdi, if the trains get delayed by more than an hour. Currently, SMS messages are sent to wait-listed passengers after the confirmation of their berths. This new SMS facility will be extended to other trains too in a phased manner.

The First Gold Standard Train

India’s first gold standard train, the New Delhi-Kathgodam Shatabdi Express has been launched under the Railway’s ‘Swarn Project’. It comes with vibrant vinyl wrapping, upgraded toilets, automatic hygiene control systems in all coaches, Wi-Fi hotspots, and signboards in Braille. The project aims to give passengers about 30 trains like this.

Ticket Transfer

Don’t feel disappointed if you have to suddenly cancel your trip after booking a train ticket. Now you can transfer your confirmed ticket to your close ones—father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband and wife, if you make a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. This rule is also applicable to students of the same institution and NCC cadets.

Read More: Did You Know You Can Transfer Your Rail Ticket to Others?​

Reduced Sleeping Hours

Now, you can sit for longer in your seats in the train. Permissible sleeping time has been changed from 9 p.m.- 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. in reserved coaches to end the fights over berths and oversleeping passengers. However, sick passengers, disabled persons, and pregnant ladies would be allowed to sleep beyond the permitted limits.

In The Offing

Reduced Travel Time

By 2021, you might reach Delhi from Mumbai or Howrah in just 12 hours instead of 17. It would make each of these the fastest lines in India, with trains running at up to 200km/hour. Currently, the Delhi-Agra Gatimaan Express holds the record with a maximum speed of 160km/hour.

Hi-Tech Trains

The day may not be far when you get to board a train that doesn’t throw you off-balance even when it tilts. When regular trains cross bends at their usual speed, they often lead to passengers being pushed to one side. But the tilting train, for which India has signed an MOU with Switzerland, will counter this mechanism with its cutting-edge technology. Also, the foundation stone for the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has been laid. Your travel time between these two destinations will be cut down by 5 hours with the train running at a speed of 320-350 km/hour. This 508 km route will have the country’s longest underground tunnel and 7km of it will be under the sea!

Read More: Now You Can Criss-Cross through the Western Ghats in a Glass-Roofed Train

New App

The Indian Railways is planning to launch a mobile app that will predict if waitlisted train tickets have any chance of getting confirmed.

Chenab Railway Bridge

In 2019, India may boast of the world’s tallest rail bridge on river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. After the completion of the bridge, the rail journey from Jammu to Srinagar will be completed in about 5 hours, which now takes about 11 hours by road. The railway bridge would be 1,315 metres long and 359 metres above the river bed.

Book Your Train Journeys Here