Biggie B schools, IIMs and even foreign management wannabies are lauding our Railway minister Laloo jee for his commendable effort with Indian Railways, the world’s largest employing body, and transforming it from a bankruptcy headed organisation to a 12000 cr profit making cow.
So how did the 1, 700, 000 employees develop a winning attitude? He got his board enthusiastic. He did not increase the ticket prices, but instead lowered the AC coach fares to compete with these low cost airlines.
We got to see faster rakes and increase in trains. We are seeing electrification and track broadening in the remotest possible places. This portal website is probably one among the frontiers that changed the view of our railways gradually.
Website Genre:
Information Portal. It allows users to interact with the existing database and do everything that one can do as a railway booking clerk.
Features:
>One can plan travel and book their tickets.
It starts with simply typing source station and destination station codes. Don’t worry, you can search for them simply by clicking an icon on the right.
The entire list of trains that run on the intended day of travel is shown. One can view the arriving and departing time of each train, the cost of the fare, the route taken, and the availibility of the seats/berths inb the class. That is, you just pick a date of travel, select a class of compartment (ac/non ac/sleeper/seat etc), and u r presented with ur own booking window.
>Make Payments.
This site has tie ups with all major banks that offer online transaction facility. The screen for payment option is presented with a single radio button in front of the bank name, and the transaction charges in percentage. One can log on to his banks system n the window simply takes the money
>Book ticket.
The ticket is booked with the facility of choosing seat/berth preference and booking only if the members get a place in the same coach. If this option is selected, the ticket will not be booked if these said conditions are not met and the money is refunded back.
>Print ticket.
With e-ticket option, one can print a receipt and carry a proof of identification on the journey. This is a boon for those who make bookings after 8 pm (the time when all ticket windows at all railway stations in india close down). One can print the receipt 2 hours before the train starts!! (except for trains that start in the morning when no charts arr prepared)
>Get tickets couriered to your doorstep.
If you are travelling at least 3 days later than the time of booking, then u can go for i-ticket. This option is very comfortable for those who don’t have access to a printer. I have personally booked at least 10 tickets like this, and the overnight express (the courier company that is responsible for delivering the tickets) delivers it within hours without fail!
>Get suburban season tickets.
A boon for 6.3 million daily mumbai local train travellers who can print suburban season tickets (monthly and quarterly).
>Get information and time table.
Get information on all major stations, railway lodges/hotels and time table of all trains (long distance or local)
>Visit picture gallery.
>Update adress and see previous booked tickets history
The site is very easy to use and it is very basic in clickability.
The site also comes with its attractive schemes.
There is money back for frequent travellers. (Shubh Yatra)
There is a free ticket winner everyday.
Free Railway insurance with some minimum payment.
Special package tours.
The site sometimes faces communication problem with the IR database, esp in the evening peak time, and sometimes the transaction is cancelled at the last moment. But It is my personal experience that whenever the money is cut from your account in case of a failed transaction, it gets transferred back (with the transaction charge) the very next day.
You also get money credited to your account if you cancel a ticket (or cancel a few out of many berths).