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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Break FAQ?

Q1 Tell me something about the job in Railways in India?
Q2 What is the nature of work ?
Q3.What is the aptitude needed for a job in Railways ?
Q4. What is the remuneration ?

Q1 Tell me something about the job in Railways in India?
A1. The Indian railway system is the largest in Asia and ranks second in the world. The total route length is over 62.3 thousand kilometres. The Indian railways had a modest beginning in April 1853, when the first train journeyed from Bombay to Thane - a total of 35 kilometres. Now, as mentioned earlier, it ranks second largest in the world. The Indian railways have made a remarkable progress in attaining self-sufficiency in equipment. At the beginning of the planning era, the railways were importing 23 per cent of their equipment. Imports of railway equipment have now been brought down considerably. A reorganisation of the geographical jurisdictions of zones and divisions was done in 1996. This reorganisation was done after taking into account the quantum of workload handled by each zone, the traffic flows and easy accessibility to various activity centres. Now the Indian Railway network comprises of nine zones that are directly controlled by the Railway Board, which is at the helm of all the operations. Each zone is headed by a General Manager. The nine zones are: ¨ Central Zone with headquarters in Mumbai ¨ Eastern Zone with headquarters in Calcutta ¨ Northern Zone with headquarters in New Delhi ¨ North Eastern Zone with headquarters in Gorakhpur ¨ North-East frontier Zone with headquarters in Guwahati ¨ Southern Zone with headquarters in Chennai ¨ South-Central Zone with headquarters in Secundrabad ¨ South-Eastern Zone with headquarters in Calcutta ¨ Western Zone with headquarters in Mumbai

Q2 What is the nature of work ?
A2.The Indian Railway Traffic Service This branch of the Indian Railways looks after transportation and commercial matters pertaining to transportation. The branch is therefore divided into two divisions:

* The commercial division: This division handles all commercial responsibilities like ticket checking, catering, administration and management of stations, reservation, announcements on the platforms, etc.
* The operations division: This division deals with controlling movement of trains. Keeping a check on incoming and outgoing trains, detachment or attachment of wagons, etc., are the responsibilities of this division. The posts and promotions differ slightly as per the selection grade. When an officer reaches the senior administrative grade, he or she is given the post of Chief Commercial/Operations Superintendent.
* India Railway Accounts Service This branch of the Railway Services is engaged in handling the accounting and finance operations of the Indian Railways. Working in this branch would entail dealing with financial transactions and hence a thorough knowledge of accounting procedures and related practices would prove an asset for officers who opt for this branch of the Indian Railways. An officer in the senior grade is given the charge of a zone and the post of a Financial Advisor-cum-Chief Accounts Officer. At this post, the officer carries the overall responsibility for accounts for the whole zone.
* Indian Railway Personnel Service As the name indicates, officers in this division handle all matters related to the personnel section like selection, promotions, training, welfare activities, transfers, increments, disciplinary actions and the like.
* Railway Protection Service/ Railway Protection Force This branch of the Indian Railway Services is entrusted with the task of maintenance of law and order on trains and on premises owned and used by the Indian Railways.
* Railway Engineering Services This is the technical side of the Railway Services and is engaged in activities like construction and planning of railway tracks, bridges and buildings. There are branches in this division like the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers and the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers.

Training for recruits for the Railway Engineering Services is provided at five centralised training institutes. For the selection of mechanical engineers, a Special Class Railway Apprenticeship Examination is held. The chosen candidates are given a four-year probationary training.

Q3.What is the aptitude needed for a job in Railways ?
A3.As in the case of any other government service, a person chosen to work in this field should have the willingness to work in a predetermined hierarchy. Unlike the private sector, hierarchy is adhered to quite closely in the government sector. As the railways are always on the move so are many of its employees. So a person should be prepared to spend time away from home and family. The railways carry an innumerable number of passengers every day. The railway employees are responsible for the safety of the passengers and their belongings. This sense of responsibility should govern each and every action of a railway employee. They should be careful that they do not compromise passenger safety in any manner. In the course of duty, railway employees will have to interact with many people, they should be flexible enough to be able to adapt to different situations and different people. But while doing that they should be governed by an inner discipline, which will ensure that they stick to their responsibility towards railway users and the department.

Q4. What is the remuneration ?
A4.The varied operations of the Indian Railways provide openings in many areas and can accommodate persons of various capabilities. However, despite having so many divisions, cadres, etc., the prospects, promotions and remuneration are at par in all the divisions. Remuneration for railway officers is fixed by the Government and follows the pattern of all other civil services. Other benefits attached to the railways are facilities like travel allowances, educational facilities, housing facilities, pension, health care, free railway passes and so on.

Indian Constitution

The term preamble refers to preface, preliminary statement or introduction. In the Indian Constitution, the Preamble deals with the aims and objectives, the targets and ideals and the basis and foundation of the Indian Constitution. It is correlated with the Objective Resolution passed by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947.

The preamble states that "We, the People Of India, have solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic and to ensure to all its citizens: Justice-social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.

Indian Constitution

Significant Features
The significant features of the Indian Constitution are of two types. There are some features which exist only in the Indian constitution, while there are other features which even though can exist in other Constitution, are distinctively important.

Unique Features

Framed By The People Of India
The Constitution has been framed by the representatives of the people of India through a Constitution Assembly during 1946-49.

Derived From Various Sources
It has been derived from various sources. The various provisions derived are Fundamental Rights and Supreme Court from the USA, Directive Principles Of State Policy from Ireland, Emergency from Germany, Distribution of Legislative powers from Canada and Parliamentary Institutions from United Kingdom.

Sovereignty Of The People
The Constitution propagates the people of India to be the supreme authority. It means the people of India are not secondary to any other external agency.

Republican Polity
The Constitution proclaims India to be a republic.

Secular Polity
The Constitution declares India as a secular nation. It clearly specifies there should not be any discrimination on the basis of religion and all religion should be treated equally.

Fundamental Rights And Duties
The Constitution provides for Fundamental rights and duties. The fundamental duties were included into the constitution through an amendment in 1976.

Other Features

Comprehensive Document
The Constitution is a comprehensive document with 395 articles and twelve schedules.

Parliamentary Democracy
It advocates India to have a Parliamentary form of government. In parliamentary democracy, members are selected b the way of elections.

Federal Form Of Polity
It advocates a federal form of government. But even after the setting up of a federal form of government, some critics have expressed dissatisfaction, calling it a Unitary Constitution.

Fundamental Rights

* Right to Equality
* Right to Freedom
* Right against Exploitation
* Right to Freedom of Religion
* Cultural and Educational Right
* Right to Constitutional Remedies
* Saving of Certain Laws

Fundamental Duties

* To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem
* To cherish and follow the noble ideas which inspired our national struggle for freedom.
* To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
* To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
* To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
* To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
* To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.
* To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform
* To safeguard public property and to abjure violence
* To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity, so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement.

Directive Principles of State Policy

* State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people.
* Certain principles of policy to be followed by the state.
* Organization of village panchayats.
* Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases.
* Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
* Living wage, etc., for workers.
* Uniform civil code for the citizens.
* Provision of free and compulsory education for children.
* Promotion of education and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections.
* Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health;
* Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry.
* Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life.
* Protection of monuments and places and objects of national importance.
* Separation of judiciary from executive.
* Promotion of international peace and security.

Indian Agriculture

Before Independence
Mr. R.Strachey who headed the 1880 Famine Commission, suggested the setting up of a department of agriculture in every province. Thus a new secretariat was formed in the centre in 1881.Following which some prominent provinces like Bombay, Madras, UP, Bengal, Assam and Punjab paid greater attention to agriculture and other related fields. The agriculture sector was backward and lacked scientific approach. To improve the condition of the agricultural sector the centre appointed Mr. JA Voeleker in 1889 as agricultural chemist. Years of extensive research resulted in the setting up of Agricultural Research Institute at Pursa, Bihar (in 1903).

In spite of the best efforts by the government, the productivity remained low. So the government set up the Royal Commission on Agriculture in 1926.Based on their findings the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was formed and during the period agricultural flourished. But during the period from World War II to Independence agricultural suffered setbacks. The famine of 1943 resulted in the death of millions.

After Independence
The partition of the country in 1947 had a negative impact on Indian agriculture. But the formation of Planning Commission in 1950 and the ad vocation of economic planning through five year plans, gave greater importance to agricultural growth and the agricultural sector gained in prominence. The government backed the agricultural sector by the way of research and by setting up Commodity Committees. The first agricultural university was set up in 1961 at Pantnagar in UP.

In the 1950' and 1960's improved agricultural practices, better seeds and use of fertilizer, soil and water conservation, land development, land consolidation, agricultural credit and marketing and price incentive resulted in improved agricultural productivity.

Green Revolution
The Green Revolution is referred to the period between 1967 to 1978.The population was growing faster than the rate of food grain production at that period. The government realized the need for dramatic improvement in food grain production. This resulted in the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution concentrated on:

* Continuous Increase Of Farming Areas.
* Double Cropping Existing Farmland.
* Using genetically modified seeds.

During the 1980's in spite of three years of scanty rainfall and a drought during the middle of the decade, India managed without large scale food imports, because of the increase in food grain production and the existence of a large buffer stock insulating against any agricultural crisis. By the 1990's India had attained self sufficiency in food grain production, because the rate of increase in food grain production has kept pace with the increase in population. This is directly the result of Green Revolution, improved seeds and fertilizers, better irrigation and increased awareness among the farmers. But on the flip side the Indian agriculture is still dependant on the monsoon and the fortunes of the agriculture sector vary according to the monsoon.

Prior To Independence

The first proposal for a rail system was initiated in 1832 in Madras, but due to financial constraint it never saw the daylight. The East India Company then decided to assist private entrepreneurs who wished to establish a railway system in India, even if it was not commercially feasible. In 1845, two companies the East Indian Railway Company operating from Calcutta and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) operating from Bombay were formed. The first train to be commissioned to service was on December 22, 1851 for hauling of construction material in Rourkee. But the first passenger train started operations on April 16, 1853 between Bori Bunder, Bombay and Thana covering a distance of 34 km. It marked the beginning of railways in India. The British government then inspired private entrepreneurs to set up rail link under a plan that would provide them with an assured return of 5% during the initial years of operation. But once the rail link was completed, the ownership would pass on to the government, though the concerned company could operate the rail link.

In 1901 the British constituted the Railway Board. It worked under the department of Commerce and Industry. For the first time after the railway board was constituted the railway started making profit. By 1907 all the railway company was taken over by the Government. By 1920 the network of Indian railway had increased to 61,220 km. Realizing a need for a central management, the government took over the functioning of the railways and detached the finances of the railways from other governmental revenues. Between1920 to 1929 the railways witnessed enormous growth, but were severely crippled afterwards by the great depression and Second World War. By 1946 all rail links were taken over by the government.

After Independence
In the initial years after Independence, India faced a huge challenge in terms of rail network. It received a dilapidated rail network. Around 40 per cent of the rail link went to Pakistan, a large no of rail lines had to be rerouted through Indian territory. A majority of the rail line available today were laid by the British. Insufficient investment and inefficient management and maintenance have greatly restricted growth in route length. The former Indian princely states had a total of forty two separate railway systems, including thirty two lines amounting to 55,000 km. They were brought under the purview of the Indian Railways.

In 1951 the government mooted the idea of forming zones and a total of six zones were initiated. As the Indian economy developed, railway production took place within the country. By 1985 steam locomotives were phased out. In 1987, computerisation of reservation was carried out starting with Bombay.

Railways Post Reforms
Post reforms in the 1990's the progress of the railways was not satisfactory. The Rakesh Mohan Committee report suggested that the railways needed a complete overhaul if any progress had to be made. Since it was not that easy from a political point of view, it was not given due importance by the inner circle in the railways. But with the appointment of Mr. Lalu Prasad in 2004 as railway minister, things changed dramatically. In the next five years the minister and his team worked out a strategy to bring about a complete turnaround in the working of the railway.

The turnaround was possible due to

* Higher freight volumes.
* Increased occupancy in passenger trains.
* Monitor costs and reduce tariffs.

The railways have managed to improve their market share and operating margins. The government has been credited with pursuing inclusive reforms, without comprising on the social obligation. The railways have been applauded for improved customer service and for reducing passenger fares.

Some of the salient features of the reform are:

* A well planned strategy to build around capacity generation through optimization of the existing infrastructure and assets.
* Adopting a different approach to the social and commercial segment of the traffic.
* Increasing the passenger carrying capacity of important trains. Improved operational efficiency meant the unit cost of operation reduced.
* Dynamic and market driven tariff policy linked to seasonality and price elasticity of demand.
* The policy of overhaul increase in freight rates has been replaced by a system of differential tariff based on market conditions.
* Tremendous growth in traffic volumes, revenues and surpluses has proven the fact that the process of globalization has brought positive results for everyone concerned.

Growth In The Future

* The railways have devised a planned strategy to remove bottlenecks and increase capacity to meet the demand. The key areas of focus would be up gradation of infrastructure, modernization of wagons technology, advanced signaling and telecommunication, induction of high horse power locomotives, grade separation and usage of information technology to decrease transit times and reduce unit operational cost. The railways also propose to construct state of the art passenger and freight terminals bench.
* Over the next 5 to 10 year the government plans to give utmost priority to low cost, rapid pay back and high return investments with the view of speeding up works on doubling railway line, port connectivity, gauge conversion, signaling and telecom, renewal of assets and modernization of passenger terminals.
* The government has initiated private investments in major stations to create world class passenger amenities and services.
* There is an increase in demand for coaches. The government has proposed to meet the increase in demand partly through increase in the capacity in the existing production units and partly by setting up a new manufacturing unit through a joint venture under Public Private Partnership (PPP).
* The railways are also planning to build a super specialty hospital in Patna. If successful, the concept would be extended to other parts of the country.

Budget 2009-10

Indian Railway Budget: A Brief Summary
The Indian railways have one of the largest networks of trains in the world and since the first rail from Bombay to Thane stated in 1853, Indian railways has come a long way. Indian railways carry millions of passengers daily from one place to another place. The ministry of railways controls the Indian railways. Every year the ministry of railways presents the Indian railway budget in the parliament. The Budget is presented two days before the general budget. It has to be passed by the Lok Sabha before it is accepted. The rail budget deals with the improvement in the existing trains and contains details of the new trains. It also gives details about the passenger fares and tarries to be levied.

Highlights of Railway Budget 2009-10 are as follows:-

Reduced Tariffs

* For ordinary passenger trains there is reduction in passenger fares by Rupee 1 for fares costing up to Rs 50 per passenger for journey above 10 km.
* For all mail/express and ordinary passenger trains, second class and sleeper class fares are to be reduced by 2 per cent for tickets costing Rs 50 and more per passenger.
* Also there is to be a fare Reduction of 2 per cent for AC First Class, AC II tier, AC III tier and AC Chair Car.

New Passenger Services

* 43 new train services to be started in 2009-10.
* Extension of 14 trains envisaged.
* Frequency of 14 trains is to be increased.

Indian Railways' Financial Health During The Year 2008-09

* Freight loading target was retained at 850 mt.
* Ordinary Working Expenses (OWE) increased to Rs 55,000 crore (Rs 550 billion) in the R.E and the appropriation to Pension Fund to Rs 10,500 crore (Rs 105 billion). This is done keeping in view the increased financial burden due to implementation of VI Central Pay Commission.
* Revised plan outlay kept at Rs 36,773 crore (Rs 367.73 billion).
* Cash surplus before dividend projected at Rs 19,320 crore (Rs 193.20 billion) and the Operating Ratio at 88.3% despite implementation of the VI CPC.
* Appropriation to DRF retained at Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion).
* Dividend payable to General Revenues kept at Rs 4,711 crore (Rs 47.11 billion).

Indian Railway's Performance Review

* Tripura's capital Agartala is now connected by railway line.
* Kashmir Valley's first train service commenced between Anantnag and Rajwansher. This is to be followed by extension of rail services to Baramulla and Qazigund.
* The number of consequential accidents has come down to 194.
* Work on Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor commenced near Delhi on 10th February, 2009 while Work on Western DFC to commence this month.
* completion of successful trials for running electric locomotives with OHE at a height of about 7.5 mts in preparation for running double stack containers on electrified Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.

Indian Railway Budget Estimates For The Year 2009-10

* Freight loading targeted at 910 mt while number of passengers estimated to grow by around 7%.
* Budgeted Operating Ratio 89.9%.
* Plan outlay kept at Rs 37,905 crore (Rs 379.05 billion).
* Gross Traffic Receipts estimated at Rs 93,159 crore (Rs 931.59 billion) i.e. Rs 10,766 crore (Rs 107.66 billion) more than RE 2008-09.
* Ordinary Working Expenses (OWE) budgeted at Rs 62,900 crore (Rs 629 billion) to cover the full year impact of VI CPC and the payment of 60% arrears due in 2009-10.
* Dividend payable to General Revenues kept at Rs 5,304 crore (Rs 53.04 billion) at the current applicable rates.

Other Announcements Of Railway Budget 2009-10

* New railway divisions at Bhagalpur and Thawe will be set up to facilitate improved train operations.
* 25 surveys proposed comprising 14 for new lines, 3 for gauge conversion and 28 for doubling projects.
* For running high speed bullet trains, a pre-feasibility study is being pursued.
* Bharat Wagon Limited (Mokama & Muzaffarpur) is transferred to the Ministry of Railways; transfer of wagon units of Burn Standard at Burnpur and Howrah are also under consideration on the same lines.
* Construction of Rail Wheel Factory, Chapra is on in full swing.
* Work on diesel and electric locomotive factories at Marhoura and Madhepura will start soon.

History Of Railways In India-Important Years

1832 Plans were proposed to introduce a rail network in India.
1844 Private entrepreneurs set up a private rail system in India.
1851 Trains became operational.
1853 Passenger trains were introduced.
1875 95 million pounds were invested into Indian railways by British companies.

1895 Indian locomotives began to operate in the country.
1901 A Railway Board was established.
1907 The government obtained total control over most of the rail companies.
1908 First electric locomotive was introduced.
1947 40% of the railway network came under Pakistan's possession.
1951 Nationalization of the rail system in India took place.
1952 Six railway zones were introduced.
1995 Steam locomotives became obsolete. Only diesel and electric locomotives were operational.
1987-1995 The Indian Railways reservation system was computerized.

India Railway Reservations

Booking India Railway tickets over the Internet

Booking from abroad is a little difficult, if you are totally new to how India, and India railway systems in particular, work. Online seat availability checks and online train ticket booking though the Indian Railways website (http://www.irctc.co.in/) for most of the trains is available. You have two options when you book India Railway tickets over the internet:
Indian Railways I-Ticket Reservations

You make an I-Ticket India Railway booking on the internet, but you have it delivered to an address in India. Lists of cities and towns where this courier service is available to are published on the site. Unfortunately, the India railway booking office does not courier tickets to overseas locations. You will have to provide a local address to send these tickets. Possible suggestions for destinations are a friend currently located in India or the hotel you might be staying at in India. You should allow for about two to three days’ delivery time.
Indian Railways E-Ticket Reservations

You make your E-Ticket Indian Railway booking over the internet, but you print the ticket yourself on your home computer. This is a good idea if you have access to a printer and you don’t want to have them couriered somewhere.

NOTE: You can no longer pick tickets booked online at the Delhi train station.

You have to register online on the India railway website in order for the site to process your purchase. An extra service charge of 1.8% is levied on the total cost of the tickets for internet bookings. The site takes Visa and MasterCard. A refund is made on the card if you cancel the ticket later. Make sure you note down the 10 digit PNR and the Transaction ID... you will need this if you want to cancel.

You can make a maximum of four online bookings a month, and each ticket can be for a maximum of six passengers.

One option for India travelers who anticipate traveling on the India railway system a lot is the Indiarail pass, which is available to foreign tourists from abroad. However, if you are not planning on traveling a lot by train, this is not worth the expense.
Booking India Railway tickets in person

Passengers on Indian trains can reserve tickets in person at the India railway reservation counters in India - there are hundreds of them all over the country. Most cities have ticket counters located at multiple locations for the passengers’ convenience. There are special quotas for foreign tourists. Enquire about this at the reservation enquiry counter on your route. India railway ticket counters are open 8.00 a.m. till 8.00 p.m. on weekdays, and 8.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. on Sundays.

You can use credit cards for booking tickets at the reservation counters - look for the special Credit Card counters at the reservation office. You need to pay an additional Rs. 30 as a service charge. But the credit card queues are generally shorter than the cash queues. Use your discretion.

Most large hotels in India offer travel services to their guests, and can arrange to get India railway tickets for you. For approximately Rs 30.00 per seat, they will get someone to stand in the queue for you and book the ticket. This is an easy way out for India travelers who choose not to experience the reservation counter experience personally.
Checking Seat Availability on the India Railway System

When searching for seat availability you will come across notations like "AVAILABLE- 0068", meaning that 68 seats are available for the day you have indicated. When searching for seat availability on particular Indian trains, you may also encounter notations like "WL 40/WL 10". This may look a bit confusing for a new user, but there’s a perfectly logical explanation and, once you understand it, this is a useful bit of information.

Basically, there are two types of reservations on Indian trains:

* Seats with berth are reserved on a first-come-first-served basis.
* Once the seats with berths are allocated, all other requests are under the "Reservation against Cancellations" category, popularly known as RAC.

RAC is not a waiting list in the conventional sense. You can still board the train with a RAC ticket, and you do have a confirmed seat. However, a sleeping berth will be allotted based on availability due to cancellations.

Only after the "seat only " seats are also filled does the real concept of a "waiting list" come into the picture, and this is where the "WL 40/WL10" notation comes into play. This notation on your India railway ticket means that you were the 40th person on the waiting list, but due to cancellations you are currently 10th on the waiting list.

Now why, you may ask, would you need to know how many seats got cancelled? Good question. An experienced India railway traveler will know how many seats generally get cancelled on a particular train route, and can plan his trip accordingly. It’s definitely chancy, but to give you an idea, over 200 seats generally get cancelled for a Second Class Sleeper on an Indian train.

Make sure you check the status of your ticket just before boarding an Indian train, to see if you have an RAC or WL ticket. You can do this through the internet, at the reservation enquiry counter, or over the phone. The telephone number for the Interactive Voice Response System is on the reverse of the ticket. You will need the 10 digit PNR printed on the upper left hand corner of the ticket to check your ticket type.

You will not have a seat assigned to you if the status is WL. Contact the TTE to determine your chances of getting a berth. However you can still travel with this ticket in the General Compartment.
Cancellations and Lost Tickets

Passengers on the Indian Railway System can cancel a reserved ticket and get a refund through the reservation counter. Generally the cancellation charges vary from a little less than $0.25 USD to slightly more than $1.00 USD, depending on the class. If you cancel a reservation at least a day in advance of your journey, excluding the actual day of travel, this range of cancellation fee will apply. If you cancel between one day and 4 hours before train departure, 25% of ticket cost plus the above mentioned cancellation fee is charged as a fee. You can still cancel the reservation, though, actually even after the train has departed. But the refund amount will vary, although typically you will lose about 50% of the total ticket cost. For a wait-listed ticket, there is no cancellation fee if cancelled in advance. A chart of cancellation fees for the India railway system is displayed at all the reservation counters. It shows the refund % based on class, time of cancellation, distance, etc. Tickets reserved at one station can be cancelled at another station. If you have booked over the internet, or using a credit card, the refund will be credited directly to your card.

If you are not in a position to go to the reservation counters you cancel your ticket through the mail also. But I’m not sure if they send money abroad. The best way is to get it refunded directly over the counter. In case you are not in a position to cancel in person, you can deposit the tickets at the nearest major India railway station and obtain a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR). This can be done upto 30 days after the travel date. Then, an application for the refund needs to be sent to the Chief Commercial Manager-Refunds of the respective railway zone (southern, south-central, eastern, etc) where you have deposited the ticket. You need to attach the passenger’s foil of TDR as well. This can be done within 90 days of your scheduled journey. The format for this refund request and the address to which it has to be sent can be obtained from the station where you have deposited the ticket. You have the options of a Money Order or Crossed Cheque or Station Pay Order (encashable at railway stations).

You can even claim the refund for the unused part of the tickets. Let’s say you met a nice friend on the train and decided to leave the train with her before your final destination. Before getting carried away with your newfound excitement, make sure you go to the TTE/stationmaster and let him know that you are terminating your journey. He’ll scribble something on the ticket, even God doesn’t know what it is, and add his signature. This is the proof that you have terminated your journey midway. At the exit, don’t hand your ticket to the collector. Let her that you terminated journey midway, and that you need the ticket for a refund claim. She’ll verify the ticket and give it you back.For the rest follow the instructions given above.

You’ll receive a cheque long after you have forgotten about this. But I feel happy when I get a cheque when I’m least expecting one!! I’m not sure about tickets booked with a credit card. But in any case, ticket cancellation refunds are refunded to the card account. Generally this takes a little longer time than the conventional system.

If you are not planing to travel it is always better to cancel the ticket before the journey date and collect cash directly. This will save you a lot of money, time and hassle.

Lost ticket will not be refunded. You can get a duplicate for a lost or torn ticket, if you know the the 10 digit PNR and other details. A charge from 10% to 25% is collected based on the distance for the duplicate ticket. However, if you manage to find the original ticket, you can get a refund for the additional money you paid for the duplicate minus a 5% charge! Produce both the tickets at the reservation counter to process this refund.

For cancellation and reservation of tickets the same form can be used.
Tatkal Scheme

The Tatkal scheme is an emergency reservation scheme introduced on most train routes on the India railway system. Indian trains of this type used to be indicated with a T at the end of their train number, but no longer. Tatkal tickets can now be booked up to 5 days in advance not including date of journey, so 6 days’ advance really. These are in all other respects the same express trains with 2 or 3 such special reservation coaches attached to it. Tatkal tickets are only issued for the full length of the train’s journey, though you are still allowed to board the train at an intermediate station, and of course, there are exceptions to the rule.

All the Tatkal (meaning "immediate") tickets come with a premium of approximately Rs. 50.00 to Rs. 200.00 extra, depending on the class, although they can be as high as Rs. 300. You need to produce a photo identity card (passport, drivers license, credit card, etc) at the reservation counter. The same will be asked for inside the train by the TTE. The ID number is noted on the ticket. This is basically to prevent the black-market sale of high demand Indian train tickets. If you are booking the Tatkal for a group of people (max 6 per ticket) any one member’s ID is sufficient. These tickets cannot be cancelled for a refund. The Tatkal system is a boon for emergency passengers.
India Railways - Some Facts

* 63,140 total kilometers covered.
* 8,702 passenger trains.
* 6,856 railway stations.
* 14 million passengers a day.

It is a huge cultural kaleidoscope on the move.... Salute to India railway for the amazing service they provide to the passengers!!

Vendors on the India Railway System

Anything is available for sale inside an Indian train and at India railway stations - from safety pin to quiz books to bananas to shoe polishing services to dried fruits. You name it, and it is yours (for the right price)! Not all the vendors are approved by the India railway system, though.

A Indian train is a big bazaar on wheels, so be sure to carry a bunch of coins and small change during your India travel. The vendors are part and parcel of the India railway system. When a train reaches a station, the vendors swarm the windows like bees on a honeycomb, with everyone shouting out their fare for sale. All the goods sold are very thoughtfully suited to be exchanged through the 4-inch or so gap of the window grille. If you are sitting at the window seat, co-passengers may request to use your window to buy stuff they need.

Generally the train stops for two minutes at each station, but at major stations this can be up to 30 minutes. Make sure you shift your huge backpack close to the exit door when the train is about to reach your destination. All sorts of frenzied activities like buying, selling, and boarding takes place two minutes before the train leaves. Departure is announced by a long whistle, after which the train slowly begins its journey again.

Ticket Examiner


The India Railways Traveling Ticket Examiner

Traveling Ticket Examiner on the India Railway SystemThe Traveling Ticket Examiner on the Indian railway system, or the TTE as he’s known, collects all the tickets on the Indian train. You have to show him your ticket on request. The TTE is usually dressed in a dark blazer with a name badge over his white shirt, and always carries a chart board with a huge clip over it. The TTE typically speaks fairly well, though in the Indian dialect of English. You will hoard of passengers around him towards the front on the India railway station, asking him questions all sorts of questions about the statuses of the waitlist.

The TTE is the best person to speak with about questions or concerns about your India train journey. Some common inquiries that the TTE will be able to address are:

* Swapping your berth,
* Arrival and departure timings,
* The train is best to reach your destination,
* Extending your journey on the same train,
* Upgrading your class, which is based on availability.
* Medical emergencies that arise during your journey. The TTE, and other train staff, is trained to give first aid, and will locate a doctor on the train if the situation is more serious. India railway encourages medical practitioners to identify themselves while making reservations. By the way, all the passengers are insured by the India railway system against accidents while at the station or on the trains.
* You can even ask him personal questions like how many children he has... the question will be appreciated!

Typically one TTE is in charge for about 4 coaches, and will travel along with the train. For long distance trains, a new TTE takes over every day. The TTE locks the coaches from inside during the nights. Many night running trains have a few policemen as night guards.

Guide 2






The India Railway Trains

A typical long distance Indian train has the following coach configuration.
The Engine

Well, it’s in the front with the driver and his assistant! The guard at the tail end of the train is the person in charge of the train. Indian trains run on diesel or electricity, depending on the route.
Second Class (General Compartment)

2 to 4 coaches in a train, usually 2 just behind the engine and 2 at the end of the train. You need not have any reservations for traveling in second class. You can buy tickets from the counter at the railway station, even when the train is standing at the platform ready for departure.

Second class is the cheapest way to travel on the India railway system for me. For less than $10.00 USD, for example, you can travel about 3,000 kilometers (yes, three thousand!) from Trivandrum to New Delhi. The only catch is that there are no seat reservations. No sleeping berths either, so you would have to sleep sitting up for 2 nights.

If you do manage to get a seat, there is no guarantee that you can hold on to it. You need to keep your luggage, or any other personal object, on the seat when you go to toilet or walk around the train. An empty seat is open for anyone, including you, to occupy!

The facilities for second class on the India railway system are a bare minimum: food is available from the vendors; there are four squat-type toilets with water attached to each coach; fans are provided; two washbasins are also available at both the ends of the train.

Tip: bring a small chain and a padlock to secure your luggage beneath a seat or over the luggage rack.

Depending on the season or route, the second class on the Indian train may get overcrowded. I’ve traveled many times in this class during the peak India travel season, and a couple of times I had to breathe through my neighbor’s nose! The coaches get especially crowded during the Indian summer season, and there is a large passenger overflow into second class from other classes due to the overbooking of reservation.

You will see the poorest class of Indian people in these compartments, but if you want to get a feel for the "raw India", then traveling in the second class is the best bet. The people are generally accommodative, and are more than happy to talk to strangers. A foreigner will surely generate a lot of curiosity.

You take definitely the first step in striking up a conversation, but use your common sense and good judgment to assess the situation. You will know they are interested when they bombard with you with a lot of curious questions. Be prepared to answer a lot of personal questions! Some standard questions you will be asked on your India travel journey are "Where you are coming from? What is your profession? How much you earn a month?". Your answers will lead to additional questions! Don’t be offended by the personal nature of the questions. This is how people in India socialize. Surprisingly, they may not ask your name. They think this is too personal a question to be asked!

An average Indian has an infinite number of questions to ask. Don’t be offended. This is how the Indian culture is. Asking questions is not considered impolite. My advice is to roll with it, rather than fighting it or getting upset.

A poor Indian is of the impression that all western tourists are infinitely rich, and that they have more money they know what to do with it. Otherwise why would they travel around the country and waste a lot of good money? Even the well-to-do Indians share the same opinion.
Second Class Sleeper Compartment

Second Class Sleeper Compartment on the India Railway SystemThe sleeper class in the India railway system is the main chunk of a typical express train. Each coach holds about 72 passengers, with about 10 to 15 coaches per train.

You will need a reservation to travel in this class of the Indian train. Reservations can be made 60 days prior to your journey at the most. Once reserved, your name will be listed on the chart stuck next to your coach’s door outside. A copy of the same is displayed at the departing station “Reservation Chart” notice board about an hour before the departure. The coaches are indexed as S1,S2,S3, and so on. Lookout for a square white paper label stuck on the side of the door with the coach number marked on it. The same is also printed on your ticket. Most of the stations have a notice board indicating the position of the coaches from the engine. If this is not displayed, ask the staff at the railway station for your coach. Try to locate your coach prior to the arrival of your train so that you can avoid the mad-tourist dash up and down the length of the train with your huge backpack.

Bring your own bedroll for the II class sleeper travel. A thick blanket and an air pillow is not a bad idea.

The middleclass massed of India travel by this class. Next to your seat will, in all probability, be a newly married Tamil couple who will speak reasonably good English, an old lady who is not very happy with you to begin with, her middle-aged daughter who speaks Hindi only, and her inquisitive young boy who want to know everything about you.

For a budget traveler Second Class sleeper is THE most suitable mode of transport.

The seats in the second class sleeper are grouped into semi-private sections of 6 seats - 3+3 facing each other, with upper berths, middle berths, and lower berths. The lower berth is the primary seating for the passengers during daytime. Seats in the second class convert into sleeper berths at night. Don’t get offended if an older passenger asks you to exchange your lower berth with his upper berth. Generally, younger people consent to this as a courtesy to the senior passenger.

The upper berth on the Indian train is undisturbed and can be used for sleeping during the daytime as well. Lower berth passenger gets the window seats during the daytime, although generally you will see a lot of co-operation among the "6 member berth family" in berth-swapping.

On the other side of the walkway is a row of ‘’Side Berths”. These are twin seats facing each other. If you are taller than 5.5 feet, though, these side berths are going to be a little short for you to sleep on. But both of these seats are window seats and you won’t trouble the other passengers when getting up walking around, like the trouble created for the mid and aisle passengers sitting in a row during an airplane flight.

Try to avoid, if possible, the first and last 16 seats of the 72 seats in each coach on the Indian train, as they are close to the doors and toilets. You may be annoyed by the traffic near the door and toilets, just like the last row in an airplane. The light that stays on at night at these sections of the compartment might also annoy you.

Chains are provided by the India railway to secure your baggage, but bring your own padlock. Your luggage can be pushed under the seat.
AC 3-Tier Sleeper (3A)

3-Tier AC Sleeper on the India Railway SystemThis is the air-conditioned version of the Second Class Sleeper. Most of the express trains have about 2 to 3 coaches of this type. This class is more comfortable than the Second Class Sleeper and is also a bit more spacious. The windows are tinted glass and do not open. You might not be able to enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the scenery as you pass by like you would in the Second Class Sleeper.

Ticket prices are fairly reasonable as well. For about $34 USD you can travel about 3,000 kilometer from Trivandrum to New Delhi in this class. I recommended this class if you wish to travel in a bit more comfort, and especially during the summer. Bedrolls are available inside the coach free of cost. Most of the facilities are comparable with the Sleeper Class, though.

Here again, you will find the Indian middle class as your co-passengers.

Don’t get upset if someone requests to share the magazine you have been reading. This is a very common practice in Indian trains. After reading a magazine, if you have kept it beside you, someone might just take it to have a look. And it will be passed from person to person in the compartment without your permission. The magazine will experience a trip around the compartment and be returned to you in due time.

With a newspaper, the story is even more dramatic. If you are reading the news headline, someone will hold the middle papers and pull it gently... you are expected to release your tight hold so that he can pull out the middle section of the newspaper easily. This, by the way, is treated as absolutely courtesy! Here too, the newspaper will travel in loose sections and comeback to you after a well read tour.

Generally people won’t request your books for reading. If you are a ‘selfish’ person, keep your magazine inside your bag immediately after you read it.
AC 2-Tier sleeper (2A)

2-Tier AC Sleeper class on the India Railway SystemYou will find the well-to-do Indian traveler in these coaches. This is a good place for those who don’t want to join the crowd, or prefer a more luxurious trip. All the facilities available in SL is available here also. At a cost of about $48 USD you can travel about 3000 kilometer from Trivandrum to New Delhi in this class.

Bedrolls are available inside the coach, free of cost. Like in any other air-conditioned coaches, you can’t enjoy the outside view due to the dark window glass. Tell that coach attendant to reduce the CHILL if you feel you are inside a freezer with berths and wheels!

The AC 2-Tier Sleeper is found on many of the express trains in the Indian Railway system, and is more luxurious than the 3A.


First Class AC (1A)

First Class Air Conditioned Car on the India Railway SystemThe First Class air-conditioned class is the highest luxury class in the India railway system for the regular routes. The cost is roughly comparable with the economy class airfare. For about $150.00 USD, you can travel from Trivandrum to Delhi on the India railway system in this class. A number of the important long-distance routes along the Indian railways have these coaches. You’ll find the elite class of Indians and business executives traveling in this class.

On a side note, I once met a businessman on this class on a train, who informed me that he was afraid of flying, and therefore traveled only by train. Being a private compartment, you can travel days without even making eye contact with your other co-passengers. India travelers tend to mind their own business on these coaches, busy with the usual stuff - the newspaper reading, staring at the laptop screen, acting sleepy, etc. I have noticed this contrast between the First and Second or Third class on the Indian train in almost all of my India train journeys. Someone explained this to me as it being the product of the physical distances in the luxury classes. In a Sleeper class you are more physically close to the co-passengers and this increases the drive to interact with others.


AC Chair Car (CC)

Air Conditioned Car Class on the India Railway SystemThe AC Chair Car is generally attached only to the day-running trains on the India railway system. They look more like an economy-class seat on a plane, although with a little wider seat seating. It cost slightly less than the 3A. It’s alright for a decent day’s travel. Many express trains that run day routes on the India railway system have this class.


First Class (FC)

First Class non air-conditioned car on the India Railway SystemThis is the legacy first class coach. Only a few meter gauge express trains on the Indian railways have this class . This is similar to the First Class AC, except that it’s not air-conditioned! The cost for a ticket is between the cost for a Second Class AC and Third Class AC ticket. It’s spacious, although you will need to inform the station in charge prior to boarding the train for a bedroll. The bedrolls go for approximately Rs 20.00 per bedroll.

There are a number of special trains called the Rajdhani (meaning "capital") and the Shatabdi (meaning "centenary") Express, which are among the fastest passenger trains on the India railway system. These trains only have the luxury class coaches. The Rajdhani Express runs between Delhi and many important cities. The Shatabdi Express runs between most important cities. The Shatabdi is a day running train with no sleeping berths. The India domestic flights and airlines are their main rivals.


Break Van - Luggage on the India Railway System

India Railway Train StationThese are the luggage vans that are attached at the ends of each trains. If you have any oversized luggage, like a bicycle, motorbike, or camping equipment, you can store it away in this compartment.

Luggage does not have to be booked while making your reservation on the India railway system. Just make sure you arrive at the boarding station a bit earlier than the departure time states, and book your luggage in the break van. The Luggage Office is located near the train platform. You will need to show your ticket as proof that you are traveling on the same train. Make sure you go personally to the break van to supervise the loading and unloading of your luggage. This will help you avoid any missing luggage.

You are given a free allowance of 35kg for second class, 40kg for Second Class Sleeper and Third Class AC Sleeper, 50kg for Second Class AC Sleeper, and 70kg for First Class AC. You can usually go over by 10kg or so before they charge you for the extra.

Note: You will need to pay the additional charge if your luggage amount is more than the free allowance, whether or not you store it in the luggage van.
Pantry Car

Most of the long distance trains on the India railway system have this facility. The pantry car serves meals, snacks, coffee, tea (chai), and cool drinks. "Room service" is available, where the wait staff brings your order to your seat, although you can go the pantry car and order your meals directly. You will need to pay for what you buy.

The menu is basically vegetarian, although egg omelets are served. Chicken curry and other non-vegetarian dished are available at the stations for about a $1 per person. Prices are slightly higher for food than the local restaurants charge, but the food is pretty decent on an express train.


The India Railway toilets

Toilets on the India Railway SystemThe toilets on the India railway system are more or less similar for all the classes. Each coach is typically equipped with 4 toilets - 1 western style toilet, and 3 squat-style Indian toilets. Carry your toilet paper, though. Interestingly, the squat-type is more hygienic on a train, but using one of them on a running train requires some experience. The squat-style toilet in an Indian train is basically a stainless steel basin installed on the floor, with footrests on either side. Be careful with small articles like spectacles, purses, toiletries, etc, as these can easily fall down the drain if accidentally dropped on to the toilet floor. Once, I’ve lost a bunch of keys when they accidentally fell from my pocket. Also, don’t forget to collect all your items if you choose to leave them over the small shelf fitted inside the toilet near the mirror. Unlike in the west you can use the toilet even when the train is at the stations. No one locks up them while the train is at the station.

There are two latches for the toilet. One is a twin latch that can be opened and closed from both inside and outside. The other can be operated only from the inside. Lock this one when you are inside and leave the other one open. This gives the indication from outside that it is occupied. The toilets with the twin latch in the closed position are the unoccupied ones.

Early mornings are a bit crowded at the toilets. You use the washbasin located outside the toilet for brushing your teeth and washing your face.

Guide 1 India Railway System and the Indian Train


I’m sharing my practical knowledge about the India railway system, the Indian train, and the India travel ‘culture’. The information in this article covers what to expect when traveling on the India Railway system (as well as what not to expect), types of Indian train classes, India railway facilities, cost of travel on Indian trains, and instructions on making offline and online India Railway reservations.

It is practically impossible to fully explain the India railway system in one article. Even for an experienced traveler, there are many unknown though useful aspects of train travel in India. I hope this article will enlighten anybody who is keen to know about the India train and the India railway system. This article is not meant to be the sort of guide you’d see at the www.indianrailway.gov.in info site, guides etc. Instead, I’m trying to take a hands-on approach on train travel in India to give you a real ‘feel’ of it. Knowing the Indian train and the India railway system will go a long way to making your India travel a comfortable experience.

User Guide for CDMA phones (Reliance)

Subscribers of Reliance India Mobile (RIM) can book rail tickets in collaboration with IRCTC. This service is available in all the cities serviced by IRCTC and covered by Reliance.


Logging in to the Railways Application

Ø Click on R World

Ø Select TravelNShop

Ø Click on Railways


Rail Enquiry

1. PNR Status

Ø To get the PNR status of your Train Ticket select Rail Enquiry and Click on PNR Status

Ø Enter the 10 digit PNR Number and click on Submit

2. Train Status

Ø To view the Train Status select Rail Enquiry and click on Train Status

Ø Enter the Journey Date, Train Number, Station Name/Code and click on Submit

3. Train List

Ø To view the Train List select Rail Enquiry and Click on Train List

Ø Enter the From and To Station Name/Code and click on Submit

4. Seat Availability

Ø To find out the Seat Availability select Rail Enquiry and click on Seat Availability

Ø Enter the Journey Date, Train Number, From and To Station Name/Code and Click on Submit
PNR Alert



Ø Select Rail Enquiry and Click on PNR Alert

Ø Enter the 10 digit PNR Number and click on Submit


Reservation



1. Registration

Ø If you are already registered with IRCTC you may login using your existing User ID and password by Selecting Reservation in the Railways>Ticketing Menu

Ø In case you are not registered with IRCTC you may register using the Registration option under the Railways>Ticketing>Registration option



Procedure for Registration:

Ø Click on Railways>Ticketing>Registration

Ø Enter the data in the required fields – First Name, Last Name, Gender, Marital Status, Date of Birth, Occupation, Add Line (1,2,3), Pin Code, Phone number, User ID, Password, Re-enter password (for confirmation of password), Forgot Password Question (this is asked in case you have forgotten your password at the time of logging in later), Forgot Password Answer (this is to be typed to get the forgotten password)

Ø Click on Done



2. Reservation

Ø Click on Railways>Ticketing>Reservation

Ø Enter the Username and password

Ø After logging in enter the following details:

Ø From & To Stations: After logging in, user has to either select his source and destination stations from the Main Stations list, or else search for the stations.



Ø For searching FROM and TO stations, he has to enter the first three alphabets of the station name. For e.g. Top search for station code of Bangalore, he has to enter "BAN", and submit the same.

Ø The phone will then display the names of all stations which start with the first three alphabets as entered by the user. The user has to select the stations he wishes to start the journey from, and end the journey.

Ø Date of Journey: User has to then select the date of journey by pressing the "Call" key on monochromatic phones and key on color phones for the calendar to be displayed. User has to ensure that he/she gives 2 clear days before the date of journey. e.g., If the date of journey is 7th June '06, tickets can be booked latest from 4rd June '06.

Ø Class: User has to select the 'Class' of his choice.

Ø Train No./Name: System displays all the trains that run between the "From" and "To" stations and which has the class as selected by him. User has to select the train for which he intends to book.

Ø Availability: On selecting a particular t rain, system displays the availability for that date and for next 5 days of the class selected by the user. User has to select the date for which he intends to travel. User can check the fare, by selecting "Options" and "Fare Details".

Ø Passenger Names: By default, passenger name is displayed as entered in the myprofile, on registering with Reliance (You can register your details with myprofile online by going to www.myprofile.relianceinfo.com. User can also opt to add names by selecting "Enter new name". Details of passengers are to be entered by the User.

Ø Delivery Address: By default, address provided in myprofile will be displayed. User can enter new address by selecting "Enter address" option.

Ø User is displayed the train number, date & class of journey, Passenger details and delivery address, total fare with Service charges and number of days for delivery. User has to confirm the same for booking the tickets. In case the address of the user is not serviced by IRCTC, error message will be shown to the user. User is also provided an option here to change any input.

Ø Payment Options: User can select his/her mode of payment; options available are Master/Visa/Diners/Amex. User has to enter the card number, security (CVV) number and expiry month and year.

Ø Confirmation Page: On submitting the payment details, system processes for booking and once the ticket is booked, PNR no, and ticket details are displayed. Ticket details are also sent as SMS to the User.

Ø User can check the details of the ticket booked by selecting "Booked Tickets" link. This will display the details of the last 7 successful transactions carried out by the User. User.

Please Note:

* This application is available only in Java enabled color and monochromatic (black & white) Reliance India Mobile phones.
* Change of Boarding point is not possible.
* Ladies Quota is not available.
* Payment through Credit Cards only.
* Booking is possible only 2 clear days before the date of journey. For Eg: If the date of journey is 7th June '06, tickets can be booked latest from 4rd June '06.
* While entering any details, please ensure that the correct editing mode is selected (eg., T9, Abc, abc, ABC, 123, Symbol etc., )

Airtel

Mumbai : Airtel has launched an exclusive voice-based railway enquiry system for its Mumbai customers , post-paid and pre-paid. Two sets of services - information services and call back services are being offered.

By dialling 126, Airtel customers would be able to sccess information relating to their PNR status, including berth availability on a particular train. The dial 127 call back service of Airtel would provide customers with information relating to the delay in departure and arrival of trains.

How to use the 126 facility

To access railway information services, Airtel customers just need to dial 126 and then follow a simple procedure like entering their 10-digit PNR number to know their Reservation status.

By entering information like train number followed by date and class of travel, they would also be able to access information relating to the availability of berth on a particular train. All calls to 126 are charged at Rs. 3 per minute.

Dial 127 for call back

To get "Call Back Alerts" by dialling 127, subscribers will get waitlist status about a PNR number at a particular time, access to information about the delay in departure or arrival of trains.

In addition customers can book wake-up calls and get intimated in case of delayed trains. All calls to 127 are charged at Rs. 6 per minute.

AIRTEL CUG Indian Railways

Wrong Unbilled amount Message
I have been provided with AIRTEL No 9003141753 (Post Paid CUG-Indian Railways) by Railway as I am posted as Chief Materials Manager at Integral Coach Factory/Chennai.
I have registered with Customer Service of AIRTEL to send me message regarding unbilled amount on daily basis.I have receved following message during last three days.
Approximate unbilled usage as on Amount
11-11-08 00 Hrs Rs.6.08
12-11-08 00 Hrs Rs 345.16
13-111-08 00 hrs Rs.477.32
I am not using the mobile beyond our CUG to the extent the unbilled amount is being messaged to me.I could not get satisfactory reply from customer care of AIRTEL (COMPLAINT NO. 802654462) and the person kept on repeating that necessary correction in the bill can be done only at the time of final generation of bill.
I could not get satisfactory reply and the high unimaginable amount being messaged to me is highly UNREALISTIC.
You are requested to do the needfull for correction of UNBILLED AMOUNT being sent to me at the begining itself as it will be too late to rectify the same at the time of final bill as financial DAMAGE would have taken place by that time.

I hope my grievances will be redressed and I will not be put to financial loss.
Thanking you

LIC, INDIAN RAILWAY, AIRTEL- Top 3 service Brands

Move over the Cokes, the Pepsis, and the LGs of the brands’ world. Enter the new-age brands like Airtel, Big Bazaar, Vodafone, ICICI, and McDonald’s. The orbit of Indian marketing and consumer world has moved from ‘product brands’ to ‘services brands’ of late. To recognise this seismic shift, the leading marketing magazine Pitch, from the exchange4media Group, has dedicated its fifth anniversary issue on the theme of services branding and marketing with its survey highlighting ‘India’s Top 50 Service Brands’. The survey puts LIC, Airtel and Big Bazaar amongst the top services brands.

The Pitch-IMRB International Survey, aimed at identifying the most popular service brands in the country, has ranked the insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) as the most popular brand, followed by the Railways, thanks to the turnaround that Lalu and his team have achieved in past few years. Occupying the third slot is the largest mobile operator Airtel.

Banking giant SBI is ranked fourth followed by SBI Cards at the fifth rank. At the sixth slot is Vodafone followed by the largest retailer in terms of turnover Big Bazaar.

When Pitch contacted LIC for his reaction on this ranking, an elated chairman TS Vijayan said, “Being selected as the No 1 service brand means a much deeper responsibility towards our customers. This ranking brings to us a feeling of joy and pride along with a sense of gratitude and duty towards tens of millions of policyholders who have reposed their trust in us time and again.”

When it comes to the Railways, it seems the Laluaisation of the world’s second largest rail system is complete. First it were the world's best B-schools to take note of the massive turnaround that Railway’s has achieved under Lalu’s stewardship. Today, the Railways is much better than most of the Fortune 500 companies when it comes to cash surplus—as on March 31, 2008, it had a cash surplus of Rs 25, 000 crore--and is also close to being certified as Six Sigma entity for its safety. "Sincerity, hard work, strong leadership with clear vision, strong will and determination, reforms with human face, and encouraging our 1.54 million employees, were the drivers of this massive success,” is how the Railways additional director general for PR, Anil Kumar Saxena reacted to the massive faith that the public have reposed in the Railways.

The brand Airtel, ranked at No 3 in the survey, took shape only in 1994, but best represents the way consumers are moving. It needs no mention that Airtel, which is the market leader in the mobile services space with close to 25 percent of the market share or 75 million subscribers, has become a power-brand in a short span. When Pitch shared the news with Airtel, its president Sanjay Kapoor said, "first and foremost this ranking humbles us. It’s very heartening to know that consumers have voted us the third-most popular brand in the country. It puts more responsibility on our shoulders to sustain this goodwill and set fresh benchmarks in delivery of our services with added commitment and focus.”

The Pitch-IMRB International Survey, titled ‘The Top 50 Service Brands’ was carried out in nine cities--New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Nagpur, Madurai and Bhubaneswar. IMRB contacted 2,220 SEC-A&B consumers, both males and females, in the age group of 20-44 in September. The top 50 service brands were selected by consumers from within 120 shortlisted brands.

There are more surprises in the survey as it has found as many as 17 media brands amongst the top 50 brands. But wait till tomorrow for the details.

Pitch, the flagship marketing intelligence monthly from the exchange4media group stable, is celebrating its 5th Anniversary this month.

Tata Docomo

Tata Docomo is emerging as a one more stable Cellular network in India. Tata Docomo ads have been Extensively put up in between Recent ODI series of India-Australia.
Tata Docomo has Released a brand New advertisement with The Title Tata docomo Friendship Express where a group of people from different customs, different place, different ages will be travelling together and it’s all about how the tune Do Dooo Do which makes a magic over there!
The Caption at the end of Advertisement Why Walk Alone When you can dance together has made me to write the post!
Yes, Unity Rocks!

Advertisement Title: Tata Docomo Friendship Express
Advertisement Theme: People Travelling in Train called Friendship Express who never looked friendly eachother and how they start a conversation with the help of docomo’s motto and tune
Advertisement Length: 60 seconds
Caption: Why Walk alone when we can dance together?

Bangalore to Chennai


Bangalore ( now Bengaluru) is the capital of Karnataka whereas Chennai ( also known as Madras) is the capital of Tamilnadu. Both are south indian states , the former facing the Arabian Sea and the later along the Bay of Bengal

There are mainly two roads from Bangalore to Chennai. One is via Krishnagiri and the other is via Chittoor in Andhra pradesh . Technically the road via Chittoor is the shortest . Bangalore to Chennai via Chittoor is about 340 kilometers (210 miles) and can take any thing up to 9 hours drive.

But most prefer the road via Krishnagiri as it is a great road to drive on, though a tad longer. Bangalore to Chennai road distances via Krishnagiri is about 360 kilometers (210 miles) . The road segments are Bangalore to Krishnagiri by NH7 , Krishnagiri to Vellore by NH 46 and then to Chennai by NH 4.

Bangalore to Chennai route ( via Krishnagiri) : Bangalore > Electronic City > Chandapura > Attibele > Karnataka-Tamil Nadu Border - Hosur > Krishnagiri > Ambur > Vaniyambadi > Walajabad > Vellore > Ranipet > Kanchipuram > Sriperumbudur > Poonamallee > Chennai

NH 4 goes all the way from Bangalore to Chennai via Andhra Pradesh. So the private car/bus operators need 3 state permits.

Bangalore to Chennai route ( via Chittoor) : Bangalore > Hoskote > Kolar > Mulbagal > Karnataka - Andhra Pradesh Border > Palmaner > Chittoor > Naraharipeta > Andhra Pradesh > Tamilnadu Border > Tiruvallam > Walajepet > Kancheepuram > Sriperumbdur > Poonamallee > Chennai

There are many private operators and the state run buses that ply regular bus service between Chennai and Bangalore.

Bengaluru - Chennai Railway map : Cauvery Express / Kaveri Express connects the capital city of Karnataka State with capital of Tamilnadu Bengaluru & Chennai : Cauvery Express / Kaveri Express connects the capital city of Karnataka State with capital of Tamilnadu
Bangalore to Chennai Trains : There are about 16 express trains operating between Channai and Bangalore. Out of which 5 are daily trains. Also there are two the upscale Shadabdi Express trains that operate daily except on Tuesdays.

Popular Bangalore to Chennai trains include Kaveri Express, Lalbagh Express, Chennai Mail, Sangamitra Express and Brindavan Express . It typically takes anything from 5 hours for the Bangalore to Chennai Shadabdi Express to 7 hours for other express trains to cover the Bangalore - Chennai distance. Chennai to Bangalore route pass via the major stations Arakkonam , Walajah Road Jn, Katpadi Jn and Jolarpettai. Stoppage patterns vary depends on the train.

Bangalore to Chennai flights : About 20 pairs of flights are operated daily between Chennai and Bangalore by the 4 or so major operators. Flight time is typically under an hour.

Chennai Central

Train No Train Name Departure Arrival Schedule

6031/6032


Chennai-Jammu Tawi Andaman Exp


05:30
11:20 Dep: Sun, Wed, Thu
Arr: Mon, Tue, Fri

6093/6094


Chennai - Lucknow Exp
05:30 11:20 Dep: Tue, Sat
Arr: Wed, Sat

2007/2008


Chennai - Mysore Shatabdi Exp
06:00 21:25 Except Tuesday

2675/2676


Chennai - Coimbatore Kovai Exp
06:15 21:15 Daily

2433/2434


Chennai-Nizamudin Rajdhani Exp
06:20 20:05 Dep: Fri, Sun
Arr: Thur, Sat

6057/6058


Chennai-Tirupathi Sapthagiri Exp
06:25 20:35 Daily

1064/1063


Chennai - Dadar Exp
06:50 20:05 Daily

2639/2640


Chennai - Bangalore Brindavan Exp
07:15 20:15 Daily

2842/2841


Chennai - Howrah Coromandal Exp
09:05 17:35 Daily

6046/6045


Chennai - Ahmedabad Navajeevan Exp
09:35 17:15 Daily

6627/6628


Chennai - Mangalore West Coast Exp
11:00 15:35 Daily

6012/6011


Chennai - Mumbai CST Exp
11:45 16:45 Daily

6023/6024


Chennai - Bangalore Exp
13:00 14:45 Daily

6053/6054


Chennai - Tirupatti Exp
13:50 13:15 Daily


Top

2712/2711


Chennai - Vijayawada Pinakini Exp
14:00 13:00 Daily

2679/2680


Chennai - Coimbatore Intercity Exp
14:30 13:35 Daily

2607/2608


Chennai - Bangalore Lalbagh Exp
15:45 12:00 Daily

7053/7054


Chennai - Hyderabad Exp
16:00 10:00 Daily

2615/2616


Chennai - New Delhi Grandtrunk Exp
16:30 06:15 Daily

6039/6040


Chennai - Varanasi Exp
17:30 09:55 Dep: Mon, Sat
Arr: Wed, Fri

2967/2968


Chennai - Jaipur Superfast Exp
17:30 09:55 Dep: Tue,. Fri, Sun
Arr: Tue, Thu, Sun

6043/6044


Chennai - Kakkinada Exp
17:45 06:35 Daily

6089/6090


Chennai - Jolarpet Yelagiri Exp
17:55 09:05 Daily

2759/2760


Chennai - Hyderabad Charminar Exp
18:10 10:20 Daily

2623/2624


Chennai - Trivandrum Superfast Exp
19:30 07:00 Daily

6601/6602


Chennai - Mangalore Mail
19:45 06:25 Daily

6005/6006


Chennai - Vishakapatinam
19:25 09:25 Dep: Thu
Arr: Sat

6041/6042


Chennai - Alappuzha Exp
20:00 06:05 Daily

2671/2672


Chennai - Mettupalayam Blue Mountain Exp
20:30 05:15 Daily

2673/2674


Chennai - Coimbatore Cheran Superfast Exp
21:45 07:45 Daily

6010/6009


Chennai- Mumbai CST Mail
22:15 05:40 Daily

2621/2622


Chennai - New Delhi Tamil Nadu Exp
22:00 07:05 Daily

2657/2658


Chennai - Bangalore Mail
22:50 05:05 Daily

6004/6003


Chennai - Howrah Mail
22:30 04:45 Daily

6222/6221


Chennai - Mysore Exp
23:00 04:35 Daily

6669/6670


Chennai - Erode Yercaud Exp
23:10 04:45 Daily

6021/6022


Chennai - Bangalore Weekend Exp
23:20 08:05 Dep: Fri
Arr: Mon

0679/0680


Chennai - Nagercoil Exp
18:05 08:30 Dep: Fri
Arr: Mon

6033/6034


Chennai - Dehradun/Chandigarh Exp
05:30 04:30 Dep: Fri
Arr: Wed


Top
Chennai Central Passenger Trains
Train No. Train Name Departure Arrival

Schedule
101/102 Chennai - Bangalore Passenger 04:30 23:00 Daily
437/438 Chennai - Gudur - Bitragunta 16:10 12:25 Daily


Top
Trains passing through Chennai Central
Train No Train Name Departure Arrival

Schedule

6327


Bilaspur - Trivandrum Exp
01:30 01:10 Mon, Fri

5012


Gorakhpur Trivandrum Raptisagar Exp
01:30 01:10 Tue, Sat, Sun

6235


Indore-Trivandrum Ahilyanagari Exp
01:30 01:10 Wed

5222


Barauni- Ernakulam Raptisagar Exp
01:30 01:10 Thu

3351


Bokaro Steel City - Alappuzha Exp
04:05 03:45 Daily

6324


Howrah - Trivandrum Exp
04:15 03:50 Sat

6310


Patna - Ernakulam Exp
04:15 03:50 Tue, Thu

5227


Yesvantpur/Mussaffarpur
07:10 06:45 Fri

5627


Trivandrum - Guwahati Exp
07:10 06:45 Mon

6309


Ernakulam - Patna Exp
07:10 06:45 Tue

5623


Ernakulam - Guwahati Exp
07:10 06:45 Wed

5625


Bangalore - Guhawati
07:10 06:45 Thu, Sat

6323


Trivandrum - Howrah Exp
10:05 09:35 Fri, Sun

6596


Patna - Bangalore Exp
10:05 09:45 Mon, Sat

5626


Guwahati - Bangalore Exp
11:10 10:45 Tue, Thu

5228


Mussaffarpur - Yeshvantpur Exp
11:10 10:45 Wed

5624


Guwahati-Ernakulam Exp
11:10 10:45

Sun

5628


Guwahati - Trivandrum Exp
11:10 10:45

Fri

6595
Bangalore - Patna Exp 13:30 13:05 Tue, Thu

3352
Alappuzha - Tata Nagar/Bokaro Exp 22:40 21:55 Daily

5221
Ernakulam - Barauni Exp 23:30 23:05 Fri

6326
Trivandrum - Indore Ahilyanagari Exp 23:30 23:05 Sat

5011
Trivandrum- Gorakhpur Raptisagar Exp 23:30 23:05 Tue, Wed, Sun

6328
Trivandrum - Bilaspur Exp 23:30 23:05 Mon, Thu


Top
Chennai Egmore

Train No
Train Name Departure Arrival

Schedule

2635/2636


Chennai - Madurai Vaigai Exp
12:25 14:30 Daily

2605/2606


Chennai - Tiruchi Pallavan Exp
15:30 11:50 Daily

6121/6122


Chennai - Kanyakumari Exp
17:15 07:50 Daily

6703/670


Chennai - Tuticorin Pearl City Exp
18:30 07:30 Daily

6123/6124


Chennai Trivandrum Ananthapuri Exp
19:30 08:35

Dep: Except Sun
Arr: Except Tue

2631/2632
Chennai - Tirunelveli Nellai Exp 21:00 06:00 Daily

2637/2638
Chennai - Madurai Pandiyan Exp 21:30 05:30 Daily

6177/6178


Chennai - Tiruchi/Thanjavur Rockfort Exp
22:30 05:00 Daily
6127/6128 Chennai - Guruvayur Koodai Exp 07:20

20:35
Daily

2077/2078


Chennai - Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi
06:45 21:20

Except Tue

6126/6125


Chennai - Jodhpur Exp
15:15 19:10

Dep: Sat
Arr: Wed

5629/5630
Chennai - Guwahati Exp 22:25 20:30

Dep: Mon
Arr: Sun

5929/5930


Chennai - Dibrugarh Exp
22:25 20:30

Dep: Mon
Arr: Wed

6607/6608


Chennai - Egmore Erode Exp
22:00 07:10 Daily


Top

Chennai Egmore Passenger Trains
Train No. Train Name Departure Arrival

Schedule
103/104 Chennai Pondicherry Fast Passenger BG 06:35 19:30 Daily


Top

Trains Passing through Chennai Egmore
Train No. Train Name Departure Arrival

Schedule
6803 Howrah - Tiruchirappalli Exp 20:30 20:10 Fri, Sun
6355 Howrah - Kanyakumari Exp 20:30 20:10 Tue
6804 Tiruchirappalli - Howrah Exp 22:25 22:00 Sat
6356 Kanyakumari- Howrah Exp 22:25 22:00 Sat
2641 Thirukkural Exp Kanyakumari Nizamuddin 04:10 04:30 Thu
2642 Nizamuddin - Kanyakumari 19:30 19:10 Sun


Top

Tambaram Metre Gauge Express & Passenger Times
Train No To/From Departure Arrival

Schedule

6853/6854


Tambaram - Kumbakonam Cholan Exp
08:45 18:00 Daily

6875/6876


Tambaram - Nagore/Karaikudi Kamban Exp
19:45 07:35 Daily
6713/6714 Tambaram - Rameswaram Exp 13:00 08:40 Daily
813/814 Tambaram - Kumbakonam Fast Passenger 21:45 05:35 Daily

TRAINS AT CHENNAI CENTRAL

TRAINS AT CHENNAI CENTRAL
Train Number Train Name Arrival Departure
6046 Ahmedabad Navjivan Express 5:15 pm 9:35 am
6041 Alleppey Express 6:40 am 7:45 pm
2639 Bangalore Brindavan Express 8:15 pm 7:15 am
6023 Bangalore Express 2:45 pm 1:00 pm
2607 Bangalore Lalbagh Express 12:00 noon 3:45 pm
6007 Bangalore Mail 5:20 am 10:15 pm
2679 Chennai – Coimbatore Express 1:35 pm 2:30 pm
1064 Chennai – Dadar Express 8:05 pm 6:50 am
2433 Chennai – Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express 8:05 pm
(Thur & Sat) 6:20 am
(Fri & Sun)
6203 Chennai – Tirupati Express 10:00 am 4:15 pm
6222 Chennai Mysore Express 4:40 am 10:45 pm
2673 Coimbatore Cheran Express 7:45 am 9:45 pm
6012 CST Mumbai Express 4:45 pm 11:45 am
6669 Erode Yercaud Express 5:00 am 11:00 pm
2842 Howrah Coromandel Express 5:35 pm 9:05 am
6004 Howrah Mail 5:05 am 10:30 pm
2759 Hyderabad Charminar Express 7:25 am 6:10 pm
7053 Hyderabad Express 5:55 am 4:00 pm
9767 Jaipur Express 9:55 am
(Tue, Thu, Sun) 5:30 pm
(Tue, Fri & Sun)
6031 Jammu – Tawi Express 11:20 am
(Mon, Tue, Fri) 5:30 am
(Sun, Wed & Thurs)
6089 Jolarpet Yelagiri Express 9:05 am 5:55 pm
7243 Kakinada Circar Express 6:35 am 7:25 pm
2675 Kovai Express 9:15 pm 6:15 am
6093 Lucknow Express 11.20 am
(Wed & Sat) 5:30 am
(Tue & Sat)
6601 Mangalore Mail 6:20 am 7:15 pm
6627 Mangalore West Coast Express 3:35 pm 11:00 am
6605 Mettupalayam Nilgiri Express 5:50 am 8:15 pm
6010 Mumbai Mail 5:40 am 9:55 pm
2007 Mysore Shatabdi Express 9:25 pm
(except Tue) 6:00 am (except Tue)
2615 New Delhi Grand Trunk Express 6:10 am 4:30 pm
2621 New Delhi Tamil Nadu Express 6:55 am 10:00 pm
6043 Patna Express 9:55 am
( Mon & Sat) 1:35 pm
(Tue & Thur)
6057 Sapthagiri Express 8:35 pm 6:25 am
6053 Tirupati Express 1:15 pm 1:50 pm
6619 Trivandrum Mail 7:25 am 7:00 pm
6039 Varanasi Express 9:55 am
(Wed & Fri) 5:30 pm
(Mon & Sat)
2712 Vijayawada Pinakini Express 1:00 pm 2:00 pm

Bangalore - Chennai

TRAIN TIMINGS(Bangalore - Chennai)
Train No Train Name Departure Time Arrival Time Days
M T W T F S S
6024 Chennai Exp 08:00 20:05 Y Y Y N Y Y v
2008 Shatabdi Exp 16:25 10:55 Y N Y Y Y Y Y
2028 Shatabdi Exp 06:00 11:00 Y N Y Y Y Y Y
5625 Guwahati Exp 23:30 06:45 N N Y Y Y N N
6024 Lalbagh Exp 06:30 21:25 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2610 Chennai Express
08:15 14:45 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2640 Brindavan Exp 14:30 20:15 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
6008 Chennai Mail 22:30 05:25 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
2692 Chennai Express 09:15 10:30 N N N N N N Y
5227 Muzaffarpur Exp 23:15 06:45 N N N Y N N N
5625 Guwahati Exp 23:30 06:45 N N Y N Y N N
6022 Chennai Express 21:30 03:55 N N N N N N Y
6221 Chennai Express 21:15 20:50 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
6524 Chennai Express 08:15 14:45 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
6595 Sanghamitra ExpUbl Chennai Exp 06:45 13:05 N Y N Y N N N
7312 Vsg Chennai Exp 06:00 13:10 N N N N Y N N
7314 Ubl Chennai Exp 06:00 2205 N N N N N N Y
Disclaimer: We claim no responsibilty for changes in train timings by the Railway Department

Chennai Bangalore Shatabdi Express/2028

Chennai Bangalore Shatabdi Express/2028

2 halts between Bangalore City Junction and Chennai Central

Code Station Name Arrives Departs Halt Day# Distance Speed Elev
SBC» Bangalore City Junction» 06:00 1 0 - 903m
BNC Bangalore Cantt. 06:08 06:10 2 min 1 5 38 929m
KPD Katpadi Junction 08:58 09:00 2 min 1 232 81 213m
MAS• Chennai Central• 11:00 1 362 65 14m