The Final Thing on Transport

7/30/2019 The Final Thing on Transport

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THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY

A SERVICE SECTOR MANAGEMENT REPORT


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INDEX

1. AIRLINES AND RAILWAY TRANSPORT AS SERVICE

2. APPLICATION OF 8P MODEL

3. BLUE PRINTING

4. AIRLINE INDUSTRY

a. INDIAN AIRLINES

b. SAHARA AIRLINES

c. JET AIRLINES

5. INTERVIEW

6.INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN RAILWAYS

7.TYPES OF TRAINS IN INDIAN RAILWAYS

a. PALACE ON WHEELS

b. RAJDHANI AND SHATABDI EXPRESS

c. ROYAL ORIENT

d. KONKAN RAILWAYSe. OTHER TRAIN PACKAGES

f. HILL RAIL JOURNEYS

g. GOODS TRAINS

h. LOCAL TRAINS IN MUMBAI

5. RAILWAY CATERING

6. CLASSES

7. RESERVATION

8. RECOMMENDATIONS

9. ANNEXURES


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RAILWAY AND AIRLINE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE

In the 5 kinds of Market Offer, services of transportation be it airlines or railways, take theshape ofMajor Services Accompanying Minor Goods. If we search for the value added byTangibles Vs Intangible elements of goods and services in the grid, airlines and railways take

place in high intangibles and low tangible elements category.

Explanation:

Airlines: People definitely form a part of the service offered. The airlines have theresponsibility of taking care as to which people will use what product. If one customer travelsin a B class of the airline, he/she will definitely expect a particular class of customer seatednext in terms of conduct and behaviour. The service provider (Airline Management) here needsto take care and create a quality by differentiating different people for different services. Theairhostesses/cabin crew/staff need to have good technical and interpersonal skills to managethe customer behaviour.

Railways: In the similar manner, different kinds of facilities are provided to passengerstravelling in various classes. For example, the food in Ist AC is a seven-course meal while thatof a 2nd AC is a three-course meal. Even in terms of security, there is a difference. Hawkers orindividual sellers on the stations are allowed to enter in the 2 nd class compartments of the trainto sell food and other articles. However, this is definitely not permitted in AC compartments.Also there is an attendant to cater to the needs of passengers in AC compartments.

There exists more Variability of Operational Input and Output. The standardization inservices becomes a little difficult but not impossible. For example, two people travelling inthe Economy class of Air Sahara, at the same time and use the same services. But still the

experience and perception of service will be different by the both of them.

No inventories after production: Physical services cannot be stored and stocked. However,labour facilities can be kept ready but not the service. Time factor becomes very importanthere. Service providers always try to speed up their services as people are ready to paymore if they can save a little of their precious time.

APPLICATION OF 8P MODEL


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1. Product Elements: Transportation is the Core Product for Railways as well as Airlines.However, the supplementary products differ as follows:

2. Place and Time: In the transportation industry, time, place and channels, form a very

important part. Speed is extremely important. Customers can not afford to wait for servicesto be offered after a very long time. For example, Passengers prefer to travel by RajdhaniExpress taking into consideration the high speed service that it offers. Similarly, time andplace are the determinants of the organization.

3. Process: Here, to create product elements and delivery, one has to have an efficient processwith design and implementation, to deliver effectively and efficiently to the customers.Badly designed process will only annoy the customers, and will reflect on the job of theorganization. Following is the example:

Airlines:

Reservations cause a lot of hassles. It takes more than 15 minutes to check in

Often delay in flight schedules

Baggage damaged/not found

Food not served on time according to the specifications

Railways:

Blankets provided are not clean.

Compartments are dirty and filthy

Delay in train schedules

AC does not work. No water in wash rooms

All these are service failures, due to bad process design.

4. Productivity and Quality: better services lead to greater word of mouth publicity. TheAirline is set to be more quality conscious. Also the customer expectation rises. Therefore,knowing that the expectations are high and the response is great, the staff, be it for railwaysor airlines, tend to be more productive.

Transport

Food/Beverages

Reservations

Safety/Security

Baggages

Entertainment

Blankets/Pillows

Rest Rooms

Telephone/Internet


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5. People: Consumers perception of service is by assessment of the people who provide theservices. It is very important in Airline industries. That is the reason, why Airlines arehighly conscious while selecting the Airhostesses, crew as well as ground staff employees.In the railways, however, that much care is not taken while employing as they dont facecompetition from private players. The general perception in the minds of people about

Airlines is that of a polite, sincere, efficient and attentive staff which is completelydifferent to that of railways wherein, people/passengers have had the experience of rude,rash, and mis-behaved, and hard talk employees.

6. Physical Evidence: In airlines, the interior spacing between chairs and seats, the cabincrew, the staff, equipments like plates for food etc, meal served fresh towels, etc are allvisible cues that provide a certain tangible experience. Quality aspect is also determined bythese Cues. The visible Cues make a maximum impact on the customer. In railways, also,the physical evidences are comfortable seats and sleeping berths, sliding tables for meals,Blankets and pillows provided the food and beverages, pantry cars, etc.

7. Price and other User Cots: Airlines are often in cut throat competition. Serviceorganizations look in for slashing prices in order to attract more passengers towards theirairline. Recently Indian Airlines slashed prices by 15% and so was reciprocated by mostothers like Jet, Sahara, etc. however, the various transport modes are also trying to reducethe burden on the customers by:

Speed

Reduced time

No physical and mental effort

No unpleasant sensory experience etc.

8. Promotion and Education: through communication, the merits of the service are known by

the customers. It also encourages them to take action towards the communication viafeedback. For example Airlines promote their services, their publishing advertisements invarious media like internet, Television, Radio, Billboards etc. while in Railways, the adsare telecast on T.V. channels like DoorDarshan.

BLUE PRINTING:

Every Service has a blue print which is a complete design to mange complex process of service.Its a visual portrayal or drawing of plan. Given below is blue printing of Boarding And Pre-Boarding Procedure in airlines as well as railways this is once reservation of tickets have beendone.

Airlines:Parking Area private cars as well as Taxis Trolleys are provided forloading baggage Security Checking of Baggage and passenger Check indesk for Baggage/ticket confirmation Baggage is weighed and only then checked in

Hand Baggage Tags are given along with Boarding pass At relevant boardingTerminal boarding passes are checked along with passengers ID card and then are aided totheir plane. Once they enter the air hostess show them their seat.


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Railway:

Parking Area is provided for private and taxis Platform tickets are provided for peopleaccompanying passenger till the train Coolie carry luggage Inquiry Counter forinformation on arrival of train/platform no:/whether its delayed or not Reservation can be

confirmed on the notice board provided on platform Catering Facility /also washrooms/waiting rooms/STD booths are provided for passengers Various sign boards indicatewhere the passengers compartment will arrive.

LAYERS AND FEATURES OF SERVICE MAP

Critical Incidents Or Critical Moments:

Customer/ Passenger forms a part of the Service Delivery through out. He is involved from thepre consumption stage to the post visit feedback. The service provider, (in this case Rail orAirline Management) must anticipate the customers needs and reactions at all the stages of theservice being provided (especially in the areas of Encounter between the Management and the

Customer). Such encounters are called the Critical Moments that are very crucial in Service. InCritical moments, the service manager can design the service delivery systems that will guideinteraction between the service provider and the user.

The Quality Aspect

Transportation is one important area where a passenger not only spends his/her Time, but alsoa lot of Money. The transportation industry is slowly coming across a greater need for QualityService. After investing a lot of time and money, if the particular mode of transport (Air or

Process

Customer Travels By The Train Or Airline

Person At Ticket Counter, Ticket Collector, Pantry CarServers, Coolies, Persons Supplying Sleeping MaterialEtc./Air hostess, Steward,etc

Cleaning Staff, Cooks, Driver Etc./Pilot, Cleaning Staff etc

Marketing And Advertising Staff Of Railways, HumanResource Department, Engine Department.

S

ERVICE

STRUCTURE

F

rontStage

backst

age

Line of interaction

Line of visibility

Line of internainteraction

Line oimplementation


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Rail) does not satisfy the customer, he/she might not complain of the service but shall probablygo ahead with shifting of the service provider.

In this industry, from the customers point of view, different consumers will assess quality in adifferent manner. The various determinants of quality for a layman shall be:

The Speed The Food Served

Attitude of the Staff

The Ambience, Cleanliness etc inside the Air/Rail Bus

The Quick service during Reservations etc

However, in this sector, quality is based more on the User Based Approach. This is highlydebatable because not all customers have an equal view or an equal experience.

For Example: In Airlines someone, might like an Airhostess for her polite behaviour. At thesame time, someone might not like the same Airhostess considering that she is not smart

enough. Quality lies in the eyes of the Beholder!

Customer As A Co-Producer:

The various modes of transport are now getting more customer focussed and quality conscious.The Railways and Airlines are gradually finding the need to encourage customers be a part ofthe organisation.There are 3 Levels to determine the Customer Participation:

Low - Service rendered regardless of any Individual Purchase

Moderate Provision of service requires customer participation

High Service is created from customers purchase and active participation

The Transportation Industry as a whole comes under the category of Low Level CustomerParticipation. Customer presence is expected during the delivery. But, the service is providedregardless of any Individual Purchase.For example: Any Train running from Borivali to Church Gate, or vice versa, will run even ifthere are only a couple of passengers travelling in it. The entire train will not dis-function justbecause there are not enough customers to travel. Even with a single passenger, the services oftransport by the train will be rendered to its optimum.

INTRODUCTION FOR AIRLINES

As airlines struggle to gain market share and sustain profitability in today's fiercelycompetitive and economically demanding environment, they must develop new ways tomanage their customer relationships to optimise customer loyalty and revenues. What tacticsshould airlines use to acquire, develop and retain customers with greater precision andimproved results? Is better service sufficient?

The airline industry has reached a crossroads. The effects of the worldwide economic slumpand the aftermath of September 11th attacks have severely impacted airline economics andviability. While the U.S. and certain European markets were most severely impacted, airlines


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worldwide are striving to both regain and improve profitability. Many have focused onoperational improvements to reduce costs, but the customer cannot be ignored. Customerrelationships must be fostered for airlines to maintain competitive advantage and profitabilityin the long term.

Airlines' immediate focus is on cost reductions in driving to more efficient operations.However, many airlines are turning to customer relationship management (CRM) as a tool formanaging customer relationships. Unfortunately, in many cases, they have failed to recognizeCRM as a holistic strategy, instead viewing it as synonymous with their frequent flyerprograms. In order to manage the customer more effectively across all lines of service, airlinesmust change their approach to CRM in a number of ways:

Customer segmentation -- Airlines need to recognize that mileage-based segmentation isinadequate, whereas value-based and needs-based approaches can help guide investmentdecisions and drive greater insight into the needs of high-value customers.

CRM initiative development -- In order to differentiate themselves from the competition,airlines must abandon a "fast follower" approach to CRM initiative development, in favor ofinvesting in initiatives with a high return, which respond to the needs and desires of their owncustomers.

Organizational design and management-- Airlines need to instill a service mentality in theiremployees, empowering them with a complete view of the customer and clearly articulatingthe employee's role in the CRM strategy.

By taking steps to implement a truly consumer-centric approach to relationship management,an airline will be better positioned to acquire, develop and retain high-value customers.

Through the development and implementation of customer analytics and decision-supporttechnologies, airlines can begin to use customer information not only to differentiate servicelevels based on customer value, but also to drive crucial operational decisions. In the end, anairline's CRM program becomes a platform for achieving both near-term operational efficiencyand long-term relationship management and growth.

INDIAN AIRLINES: HISTORY, NETWORK AND INFRASTRUCTURE

History: An Introduction to Indian Airlines:

In 1953, a new dream took shape that was to air link the vast South Asian subcontinent by asingle, modern, and efficient airline. The Airline was Indian Airlines. Today, Indian Airlines,together with its fully owned subsidiary Alliance Air, is one of the largest regional airlinesystems in Asia with a fleet of 60 aircrafts, 5 wide bodied Airbus A300s, 38 Fly-by-wireAirbus A320s, 11 Boeing 737s, 2 Dornier D-228 aircrafts and 4 ATR-42.

Indian Airline's has been setting the standards for civil aviation in India since its inception in1953. It has many firsts to its credit, including introduction of the wide-bodied A300 aircraft onthe domestic network, the fly-by-wire A320, Domestic Shuttle Service and Walk-in Flights. Itsunique orange and white logo emblazoned on the tails of all its aircraft is perhaps the most


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widely recognized Indian brand symbol that has over the years become synonymouswith service, efficiency and reliability.

Network: Not just Connecting India

The airlines network spans from Kuwait in the west to Singapore in the East and covers 75destinations - 59 within India and 16 abroad. The Indian Airlines international networkcovers Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain in West Asia, Thailand, Singapore, Yangonand Malaysia in South East Asia and Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka andMaldives in the South Asian Sub-Continent.

Infrastructure: World-Class maintenance & Training facilities

The airlines aircraft maintenance facilities are of the highest international standards. IndianAirlines has developed state-of-the art facilities for all aspects of maintenance, includingengine overhaul. These facilities are used not only by Indian Airlines but also by other airlinesfrom time to time. Our training facilities for Pilots are integrated at Hyderabad whereCommanders and Captains are trained in all types of aircraft in the Indian Airlines fleet. State-of-the-art full flight simulators are available for A300, A320 and B737. Several internationalairlines also avail of these training facilities. Indian Airlines' continuous technology upgradation also extends to other areas such as Reservations, Passenger Handling Systems andCustomer Service.

People: The National Airline

Indian Airlines is presently fully owned by the Government of India and has total staff strengthof around 19600 employees. Its annual turnover, together with that of its subsidiary Alliance

Air, is well over Rs.4000 crores (around US$ 1 billion).

Indian Airlines flight operations centre around its four main hubs i.e. the main metro cities ofDelhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai. Together with its subsidiary Alliance Air, IndianAirlines carries a total of over 7.5 million passengers annually.

New Introductions: Golden Edge Club (From 1STJuly2003)Indian Airlines has its Golden Edge Club. A premium club introduced for the Flying Returnsmembers. The club is for the members who are high end-users and therefore deserve muchmore care and attention as well as higher rewards

Privileges

As a member of our Golden Edge Club one can now also look forward to a host of specialbenefits, offers and privileges. To begin with:

Personalised Membership Card

A Special Kit, containing a personalized Golden Edge Club Membership Card, two UpgradeVouchers and a Special Golden Edge Club Baggage Tag.
http://indian-airlines.nic.in/aclstatus.htmlhttp://indian-airlines.nic.in/aclstatus.html


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Bonus Mileage Points on Flying Returns Membership

25% extra mileage point bonus can be earned over and above normal accruals (depending onclass of travel) on Indian Airlines or Alliance Air flights on domestic and SAARC sectors.

Additional Baggage

Freedom to carry an additional 20 kgs of extra baggage on A-300 and A-320 and Boeingaircraft. No excess baggage is however, allowed on ATR-42 and Dornier-228 aircraft.

Personalised Check-in

At the time of booking ticket and at the airport (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangaloreand Hyderabad) a dedicated check-in counter has been set up.

Priority Confirmation

It refers to Priority confirmation from the waitlist. Immediate family members (spouse andchildren) can enjoy the same privilege when they travel with the member.

UpgradesMember or his/her nominee enjoys the exclusive privilege of moving up one class higher. Twoupgrade vouchers are provided with the kit.

Guaranteed Seat Reservation

If reservation for a seat in Business Class cannot be confirmed immediately, a member isoffered an option of a guaranteed seat in Economy Class on the same flight, for bookings made24 hours in advance.

Platinum Member Card and IA Netfundu Kids Club.

The joy of flying Indian Airlines doesn't end with the flight ! Indian Airlines isproud to launch the IAnetfundu.com. Platinum Member Card and IA NetfunduKids Club.

As a privileged member, one shall receive a cool IA Kids Pack with hi/herpersonalized Membership Card, a set of personal visiting cards, coloring pencil,

your personal copy of the IA Netfundu.com Magazine, filled with interesting facts, things todo, coupons with good offers and discounts, and loads of contests and prizes to be won. Onecan flash the Platinum Membership Card at partner stores across India and get fundu deals anddiscounts from Nike, Pizza Hut, Boston's Cyber kids Academy, NIIT and many other memberoutlets across the country.

Meal Service: Who does the Cooking?

IA provides meals and beverages on all flights. The meals are provided by leading hotelslike The Taj Group, Oberoi's, and ITDC to ensure quality service.

How IA selects your menus

The airline offers vegetarian and non-vegetarian options on major meal flights. Besides,continental and Indian variations are also offered on- board major meal flights.

Catering to the health conscious clientele...


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That's not all. IA also offers salt-free/fat-free and sugar-free diet meal on major metroroutes. These diet meals are available in limited numbers and therefore you may indicateyour preference to the cabin crew, before they begin the meal service.

Meal norms: What you get through the day?

The meal norms are fixed with great care. When deciding the meal for a particular flight,the scheduled time of departure and arrival, as well as the duration of the flight areconsidered. Accordingly, the following meal services are planned.

Breakfast 0700-0840 hrs.

Lunch/ lunch snacks 1300-1415 hrs.

Dinner/ dinner snacks 2000-2145 hrs.

Coffee 0845-0915 hrs.

1030-1300 hrs.

Tea 1630-1830 hrs.

1930-2000 hrs.High tea 1030-1230 hrs.

1630-1830 hrs.

Meal Upliftment: Why you should indicate your meal preference?

Indian Airlines makes an effort to ensure that passengers get the meal of their choice.

Extra vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals are provided in addition to the flight

meals read out. Extra vegetarian meals are also provided on special days of the week such as

Tuesdays for flights out of North India, Thursdays for flights out of East India, etc. Extra vegetarian/non-vegetarian meals are offered on flights depending on the

concerned sector.

In spite of the above precautions, the airlines sometimes run short of vegetarian or non-vegetarian meals. Therefore, all passengers are requested to clearly indicate their personalmeal preference at the time of their booking itselfto ensure correct meal service.

Menu planning & control: To Ensure food quality

To ensure that the best quality of food is served on IA flights, the food is catered from

reputed five star hotels. Besides, sampling of food is done periodically and food is checkedfor presentation and quality before supply on flights.

Efforts Of Indian Airlines Towards Boosting Domestic Tourism

Indian Airlines offers holiday packages involving air travel, hotel accommodation, surfacetransportations and sightseeing for promotion of tourism in the domestic market. These holidaypackages known as "Flyways" offer a single window convenience to a passenger to shop for


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his travel, hotel stay, sightseeing, food and local transportation requirements in one go. Thesepackages also offer a wide range of hotels to suit the individual budgets.

With their focus on offering affordable packages to the middle class travellers also, otherpackages have been re-launched with a much wider range of hotels including three star, four

star, as well as five star properties according to the needs of the customer. Economicalpackages are being offered with the single window convenience and with more discounts onIndian Airlines fares as well as a wider range/rates of hotels.

The procedures for booking packages have been made easier by providing Online ReservationFacility for hotels. Simpler procedures for promotion for the travel trade/agents would nowoffer better facilities to the customers.

Indian Airlines Cargo: Logistics in Indian Airlines - Strength

Indian Airlines is primarily a passenger-oriented airline. After meeting the passengers

baggage requirements, available load and space on flights are utilized for carriage of cargo.The three types of aircrafts of IA are Airbus 300, Airbus 320 and B-737. With 100% seatfactor, the following aircraft-wise loads are available: -

Aircraft Available Tonnage (approx.)

A-300 10 tons

A-320 5 tons

B-737 3 tons

IA has a distinct edge over other competitors in the Indian domestic market. A 300 aircraft is acargo friendly aircraft and is capable of carrying big and odd size cargo in unitized mode withpallets and containers besides carrying cars. In general Indian Airlines airlifts wide variety ofcommodities, which include perishables (i.e. Vaccines, fruits, vegetables, flowers etc.) livestock, valuable cargo and general cargo commodities meant for exports like readymadegarments, machine parts and mail etc. The range of product and services include movement ofdomestic cargo with flexi pricing policy, express cargo, door-to-door services and on-boardcourier services besides carriage of international cargo within the country as well as to other

destinations. Indian Airlines Cargo is an ISO 9002 division certified by M/s. LRQA, which isan internationally known company for certification of quality systems. In addition IndianAirlines strength lies in the large network, available infrastructure (warehousing and x-rayfacilities), experienced manpower and a commitment for better service over the othercompetitors. Further, new strategic alliances with European Cargo, Emery worldwide andGATI Cargo Management Services have been drawn up based on committed tonnage /revenues in the domestic and international markets. They launched a new scheme called FAK(freight of All Kinds) for price sensitive customers of Indian Airlines Cargo. For time sensitivecustomers, Indian Airlines offers committed space on specific flights.


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SAHARA AIRLINES

Sahara Airlines is a part of the Sahara India group, which has business interests in parabanking,mass communication, housing & infrastructure, international trading domestic marketing ofconsumer products and television.

Sahara Airlines commenced operations on 3 December 1993, with one Boeing 737-200. Theairline has completed Ten years of successful business operations in India. The airline now hasa fleet of two 737-400s, two 737-200s, one 737-700 and four Twin Engine Euro copters. SALoperates to 13 destinations in India with 28 flights daily offering a seat capacity of 1.2 millionper annum.

The airline has two main hubs, at Delhi and Mumbai. It employs 1,700 highly qualified,experienced and dedicated staff including 91 Pilots, 105 Flight Crew who have receivedintensive training at British Caledonian.

The Technological Edge

SAL's present fleet-strength includes advanced B737-700 aircraft and four new advancedhelicopters (Dauphins and Ecureuils). The airline has invested over Rs. 50 crores on aircraftmaintenance and computerized the inventory to ensure high dispatch reliability and on-timeperformance. The engineering department is fully equipped to conduct routine maintenanceand heavy maintenance line 'C' checks and engine changes. Advanced ground support systemsensure that proper technological standards are maintained.

The entire frontlines systems are totally automated. The next phase of automation includescomputerization of revenue management, flight plan operations, engineering and crew

fostering. The airline intends to invest approximately US$ 2 million, in a phased manner, oninformation technology.

Engineering

The group has a large engineering base at New Delhi. It intends to enhance the engineeringfacilities at Mumbai in tune with the expansion programme. The engineering base is supportedby well-addressed systems from the Malaysian Airline System. The airline also has a largeforce of skilled and experienced engineers and technicians.

SAL also has its own NDT Shops, wheels and brake assembly shop, battery charging shop,

avionics shop and seat repair shop. It is the only private domestic airline to have its own hangarfor aircraft maintenance. The airline has successfully completed one 'D' check and seven 'C'checks. It is also the only private domestic airline to have self-maintenance capability. SALwas recently asked by Lufthansa to do a major maintenance job on three B737-200s, whichincluded a 'C' Check. SAL offer's international standards of in-flight services for both SaharaRoyale and Sahara. Special emphasis and attention is accorded to in-flight cuisine.

Major Air Routes in India:


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Mumbai to Delhi-Bangalore-Lucknow-Patna-Calcutta- Dibrugarh- Guwahati-Goa-Patna

Bangalore to Mumbai-Lucknow-Goa-Patna

Chennaito Delhi

Delhi toChennai-Dibrubarh-Guwahati-Goa-Lucknow- Patna-Calcutta-Mumbai

Goa toDelhi-Mumbai-Delhi-Bangalore

Calcutta toPatna-Lucknow-Mumbai

Global Distribution

SAL has GSA representations in USA, UK, Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok,Nepal, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The airline also has interline agreements with 50

international airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, KLM,Northwest, Qantas, United Airlines, Delta, Air France and Air India. SAL is an associate IATAmember and also a member of IATA Clearing House.

The next phase will see SAL increasing interline agreements from 50 to 75. The airline is alsolooking at major representations in Europe, Australia and Asia Pacific.

An international library

An international library on board includes a choice of international dailies, magazines and thelatest best sellers.

Ground Services

Providing the best, SAL offers telecheck-in facilities at major airports in the couple. The airlinehas computerized departure control system at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Goa.Entire frontline systems are totally automated. SAL is also the first domestic airline to have a24-hours toll-free service at Delhi and Mumbai.

Sahara Food: Gourmet food... 32,000 above sea level

Sahara India Airlines offers its business class passengers a choice of cuisines on board.

Passengers, who book their meals 24 hours in advance, may choose to have either a Thai or anItalian or a Chinese or a French or an Indian meal. Sahara also offers a variety of breakfastchoices. You may opt for an American breakfast or a Brit breaker or an energy and healthmeal. But remember order it in advance. The in-flight catering is our sourced from the OberoiFlight Kitchen at Delhi and Mumbai. Specific personal dietary needs are anticipated andprovided including special meals like Jain-meals, diabetic- meals and child-meals.


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Sahara Royale has a unique concept of customized meal offer. The passengers have a choice ofThai, Mexican, Italian, Chinese and continental cuisine. Health food is being incorporated inthe special the plan.

Sahara Aviation Academy

SAL is the only private domestic airline to have a dedicated aviation training academy. Thisacademy is equipped with all the facilities and covers all the inhouse training requirements ofengineering, commercial, operations, inflight crew and catering departments and providescomplete training solutions.

International Recognition:

Sahara Airlines won the World Travel Market 1997 Global Award for its quality of service.The award was presented to Mr. UK Bose, CEO of SAL, at the opening ceremony of theWorld Travel Market at Earl's Court on 17 November 1997 by Christos Poputsis, senior

member of the European Commission. This recognition reinforces the high quality of theairline's services.

The Pacific Area Travel Writer's Award for the 'Best Domestic Airline for Business Travel in1997' was also presented to Sahara Airlines on 10 March, 1998 at the International TourismusBourse (ITB) at Berlin.

Achievement:

SAL has achieved very high percentage reliability in our schedule. The performance since 15February 1999 is as follows:

Despatch reliability 99.80%

On-time performance 97.60%

Customer satisfaction 94.02%

Breaking news: Last month, Air Sahara won the Pacific Asia Travel Association award fortheir innovative schemes called Sixer and Super Sixer, enabling frequent travelers to avail of asubstantial discount on fares

PROMOTIONS: Air Sahara's new discount scheme

Air Sahara has reduced its fares by at least 50 per cent on most flights. This means, an AirSahara journey will now cost only a little more than a second-class AC railway ticket.

A passenger booking five-nine days in advance will get a discount of 10 per cent on the basicfare, while those booking 10-14 days in advance will get a 20 per cent discount. Thepercentage of discount increases to 45-50 per cent for bookings 15-19 days before the journey.The highest discount of 57-58 per cent is available for bookings made 30-45 days before thejourney date.


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JET AIRWAYS

Introduction for Jet Airways

India's major domestic airline, the government run Indian Airlines, flies extensively throughout

the nation and into neighboring countries. Its sister concern Alliance Air runs on secondaryroutes covering India totally. The country's international carrier, Air-India, also operatesdomestic services, principally on the Bombay-Delhi, Bombay-Madras, Bombay-Calcutta, &Delhi-Calcutta routes.

Second to Indian Airlines is Jet Airways, which handles 200 schedules in India on daily basics.Other private operators are Sahara, Span Air, and Gujarat Air etc. Kindly refer Schedulessection for detail flight operations. Jet Airways endeavors to make the passengers travelcomfortable and convenient. Following are the important aspects to be kept in mind for Jet airtravelers in India. Also refer Travel Tips section for Air travel.

Baggage and Baggage Allowance:

Baggage may be carried into the passenger cabin or checked into the cargo hold. Passenger'sfree entitlement is as follows: Economy class Adults or child: 30 kgs, Infant: 10 kgs,First/Executive Class adult or child: 40 kgs. Infant: 10 kgs. Baggage weighing more than thefree allowance will be paid for by rates calculated per excess kilo of weight.

Hand Baggage and Security Checks:

All baggage whether checked in or carried in hand is subject to security check. Securityregulations allow only one piece of hand baggage into the passenger cabin.

Infant and Child Care

Jet Kids is a special programme for the younger patrons of Jet Airways. Children between theages of 2 to 12 years need not just look forward to the excitement of flight take-off andlanding, for Jet also has other surprises for them. There are exciting gifts for children on board,to occupy their agile minds and to make their flying experience more enjoyable.Also there is a special Child Meal for kids. This meal however needs to be booked 24 hoursprior to flight departure. Also, in case the passenger requires any assistance for changingnappies, Jet cabin crew is glad to be of the passengers assistance.

Fares for Children & infants:

All infants under 2 years accompanied by an adult and not occupying a seat are charged 10 %of the basic fare. Additional infants under two accompanying the same adult or occupying seatand children over two years who have not reached their twelfth birthday are charged 50 % ofthe basic fare and ATT. Children may travel unaccompanied only under certain conditions.

Refunds:


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Refunds are made to the passenger or to the approved Travel Agent who purchased the ticket.Tickets purchased in cash from the airline office can be cancelled at the same or any otheroffice of the airline. Tickets purchased through a recognized Travel Agent will be refunded tothe Agent only. Refund charges on Domestic Flights - Adult/Child tickets Rs. 100, Infanttickets-Nil, Refund on tickets where flight delayed/cancelled - Nil. International ticket -

Refund administration charge-Rs. 200. No refund can be made against lost tickets.

Wheel Chair Assistance

Handicapped and infirm passengers who require assistance during boarding, disembarking andevacuating the aircraft can make a special request while booking their flight. To avail of thisfacility the passenger has to inform the reservation staff at the time of reservations. Jet CustomerService Staff at the airport will arrange for this assistance and an attendant with a wheelchairwill assist them while boarding and alighting the flight.

Expectant Mothers

Expectant Mothers till 35 weeks of pregnancy can travel on Jet Airways flights providedthere are no prior complications. Expectant mothers after 35th week till 38th week ofpregnancy may be permitted to fly on Jet Airways provided the expectant mother has afitness to fly certificate from her treating obstetrician and she is accompanied by at leasta MBBS doctor. Post delivery, the mother is permitted on Jet Airways flights along withher baby only after 7 days from the date of delivery of the baby. Expectant mothers arerequested to contact the Cabin Crew as soon they board, as they would need assistancewhile deplaning. Whilst making booking the customers should advice the reservation

department about his/her travel.

Unaccompanied Minors

A child between the age of 5 years and 12 years travelling alone is termed as anUnaccompanied Minor (UM). A child under 12 years is treated as an unaccompanied minoreven though accompanied by a passenger who is 13 years but less than 18 years.

When an unaccompanied minor is entrusted for travel, no effort is spared in providing specialattention to him or her. This should give confidence to parents/guardians regarding the abilityof Jet to look after their children whilst travelling with Jet.

The child is escorted to the aircraft and handed over to the Senior Flight Steward (SFS). Onarrival at the destination the arrival staff will receive the UM from the SFS.

Jet ensures that an unaccompanied minor is never left alone at any point of time, as it is we areresponsible for the child. Unaccompanied Minors are seated near the galley so that the crewstaff can keep a close eye on them. At the destination, the UM is handed over only to theperson stated in the UM form. If necessary, proof of identity may be requested.


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Medical Emergencies (MEDA)

Jet has a new simplified process of handling carriage of Medically ill passengers (MEDA).MEDA passengers will be accepted on board only if they are found 'fit to travel', at Check-In.Even though prior clearance might have been given to the MEDA Passenger, if at Check-In a

passenger is found 'not fit to travel' by our Jet Airways doctors, he/she will not be allowed totravel.

Travelling with Pets

Carriage of pets in B737 aircraft is permitted only in the aircraft hold provided the pet isproperly caged In such cases excess baggage will be charged for the pet including the cageon actual weight basis and will not be clubbed with free baggage allowance of the passenger.Live pets are not allowed in the cabin. Carriage of pets however, on ATR services is notpermitted. Jet Airways will not accept "Seeing-Eye dog" or "Service dog" accompanying adeaf passenger or a "pet dog" in the cabin of its aircraft.

Live animals must be carried in escape-proof, leak proof containers of proper size. It shouldhave ample ventilation and be properly labelled indicating the content and destination.The container must be strong i.e. not made of chewable material. The height of the box mustbe equal to the height of the animal in standing position and twice in width of the animalacross. The container must be properly secured.

Excess baggage is charged for the live animal including the weight of the container,irrespective of the Free Baggage allowance of the passenger.

Passenger Safety and Comfort

Safety is of vital importance to Jet. Hence, they lay great emphasis on the maintenance of theiraircraft. Their staff of 560 engineers and technicians, with 5 to 20 years of aviation experience,ensures that they conform to international safety standards.

Jet has developed in-house engineering and maintenance capability to carry out annual checksof their aircraft. Jet has installed the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering System (AMOS)for better inventory control. Since inception, Jet has had a tie up with Airlines RotablesLimited for supply and overhaul of spares and maintaining an adequate consignment stock.

Safety Inside the Aircraft

Experience has shown that excess cabin baggage is a safety hazard and can increase accidentsin-flight. It can impede quick and safe evacuation in an emergency. Overloading the overheadbins can cause luggage to fall out, and increase the possibility of injury. The comfort ofpassengers is also compromised when the cabin is cluttered with unsowed cabin baggage. Toensure passengers' safety and comfort, Jet urges all passengers to observe the IndianGovernment's regulations permitting ONE piece of cabin baggage per adult passenger.


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Using your Mobile Phone

Mobile phone is an important business tool. However, it is important to know that when usedin the aircraft - even when the aircraft is on the ground - a mobile phone can interfere with theinstrumentation in the cockpit, and adversely affect the safety of the flight. Jet is greatly

concerned by the increased use of mobile phones in the aircraft, both in the air and on theground. Even if one is not actively using your mobile phone, it is still making a low leveltransmission when the power is on, which impacts the sophisticated systems on board.Government regulations require keeping your mobile phone in the 'power off' mode while onthe aircraft. One can switch it on only after disembarking from the aircraft.

Jet Mobile

Waiting at the airport can be quite tiresome and often times very time consuming. Therefore tosave the valuable time and make things a little more convenient, Jet has initiated the Jet Mobileservice. This service enables one to check flight information on ones mobile phone, at places

where this service is being provided. One can use Jet Mobile for information on FlightSchedules, Flight Status or to set Flight Alerts. This facility puts flight informationvirtually at the passengers fingertips.

Passengers will henceforth receive automatic SMS flight alerts on their mobile phonesinforming them about their flight status when a flight is delayed beyond 30 minutes ofscheduled departure. This will facilitate passengers to pack more into their busy schedules. Toavail Jet Mobile service, passengers will have to provide their mobile phone numbers whenthey book their tickets through their travel agent or the airline.

As a Jet Privilege member, one need not give the mobile number each time one books a ticket,

provided the Jet Privilege membership account is updated with ones current mobile number.

Validity of Tickets:

All Jet passenger tickets for domestic travel are valid for one year from the date of issue ofRupee paid tickets. Tickets issued for travel on international sectors or purchased on US $ fare,are valid for one year from the date of commencement of the journey, or the date of issue ofthe ticket as the case may be.

Updating the Jet Privilege Membership Account

While the airline has one of the best on-time records, there are, at times, factors beyond humancontrol, such as fog in the northern region during winter, which lead to unforeseen delays. Thisservice will obviate spending unproductive time at airports.

Jet Mobile allows users to retrieve Jet Airways flight information on the mobile phone.Passengers flying Jet Airways can also check their flight status, flight schedules and even setflight alerts on their mobile phones. Jet Mobile service is now available across the network andis compatible with all the service providers.


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Jet Airways cargo: The Single Source Logistics Provider

Jet Airways is a nationwide transportation management company, committed to provideinternational airlines a means of transporting cargo beyond their gateway ports to over 170inland cities throughout the United States and Canada.

Jet Airways is dedicated to providing the finest Single-Source Logistics Provider Servicesavailable anywhere. Jet Airways is an industry leader in providing its clients with the mostaccurate and immediate shipment information available.

Explanation of Jet on its Logistics Services

We pride ourselves on having one of the finest cargo facilities. Efficiency, reliability and aprofessional approach are our hallmarks. With a fleet of 39 modern and next generationaircraft, our huge network, warehouses across the country and bonded warehouses in selectcities, Jet Airways cargo is equipped to handle just about all your cargo requirements. Whether

it is perishables, livestock, fresh flowers, life-saving drugs, dip mail, live animals, hardcurrency, jewellery, gold, silver, or even eye-corneas, our excellent facilities ensure that thecargo reaches its destination on time and in perfect condition.

Jet Airways cargo facilities are used by Couriers, Postal Department of the Government ofIndia, International Airlines and leading Financial Institutions not to mention Multinationalcompanies and foreign embassies /consulates who prefer their cargo to move on Jet Airwaysdue to Time-bound commitments.

The Courier Companies dispatch courier materials due to on-time reliability. InternationalAirlines choose Jet Airways for their out-bound International connections so that the bonded

cargo can reach its final International destination on time.

Financial Institutions choose Jet Airways to move their foreign currencies and other valuables.Companies dealing in bullion and other precious material also choose Jet Airways due to theSecurity advantage and on-time commitment.

Acceptance of Cargo

Shipments are accepted directly from the shipper or through agents. International carrierstender their cargo directly to Jet Airways on their Airway Bill. Direct Shipper's have to tendershipment under Instructions for Despatch of Goods duly filled with complete details of the

shipment, origin, destination and additional handling information if any.

Responsibility of the Shipper

Shipper is obliged to comply with all customs regulations and all other government regulationsrelating to the packing / marking / labelling for air-carriage.

Acceptance of Categorized Cargo: Live Animal


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Shipper has to comply with the current IATA Live Animals Regulations and complete allrequired formalities.

Shipper or his authorized agent, consolidator and indirect carriers must provide and sign aspecial certification for each shipment.

Shipper is responsible for competent packing / labeling / marking in accordance with IATAregulations for carriage of live animals. If feeding of the animal is required then shipper has tomake such prior arrangements and confirm it in writing.

Shipper has to ensure consignee is present to accept delivery immediately on arrival atdestination. Live animals are accepted with a minimum.

RECOMMENDATIONS - Airlines

1. Delays: Though delays do not occur on a regular basis in Jet and Sahara, but are almost a

routine thing for Indian Airlines. Statistics show that two out of five times, the airways aredelayed. Though the delays may occur owing to a variety of reasons, it is the duty of theAirline service industry to make the people aware about the reasons for the delay and provideadequate services to the passengers waiting at the airport for the departure of the flight. Theinformation regarding the delay is seldom made readily available to the passengers and it is thepassengers who themselves have to enquire regarding the same.

Hence, there needs to be greater communication network, openness and strictercontrol to reduce the delays.

2. Food: It is often noticed that once the food is made for the airline according to itsspecifications, it is hardly redone. People have the worst experiences when it comes to food.

There have been complaints of stale food, vegetarian passengers being served with non-vegetarian dishes and vice- versa. In such cases, the staff and the management is held to beresponsible. Greater accountability and responsibility needs to be undertaken in this area as thiscan be one of the major turn-offs affecting the goodwill of the organization and leading to ashift in the customer loyalty.

3. Staff on the Airlines: Air Hostesses are an indispensable part of the airline service industrythat have direct interaction with passengers and usually expectations are attached to theairhostesses. According to a survey conducted by AC Neilson, not many passengers in the agegroup of 18-25 like to travel by Indian Airlines. The reason for this is, though ironic it maysound, Airhostesses. They prefer any other airlines because of the younger airhostesses they

employ as compared to The Indian Airlines. The survey also suggested that 75% of the peoplein the age group of 18-40 travel by Jet only because of the airhostesses. Also, theairhostesses must be properly trained to satisfy passenger requirements. They should be politeand must be able to respond well to the enquiries made by the passengers.

Also, the remaining crew of an Airline Service Industry including the pilots, stewardsetc too form a very important part of the service rendered in terms of cleanliness or delivery ofmedical services etc.

4.Baggages: This is one of the major areas of maximum customer complaints. Most baggagesare lost during transit. If not lost, they are returned after a long period of time, usually weeks


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and months, making it really inconvenient for the passengers to collect them later. Also due todelay in receiving their baggages, the customer is enraged and helpless in a different place.Also at times there may be damage to the baggages while boarding them on to the aircraft.

Hence it is recommended that there should be a stricter control on the administrationrelated to transfer, management and delivery of baggages during transit.

5. Airport Ambience: People generally while waiting for the flight arrivals, need to wait on theairport for a very long time. It tends to get very tiring and suffocated due to presence of largenumber of passengers in a limited area especially when the flights are delayed. Hence, it shouldbe ensured that the passengers are properly taken care of and all the necessary facilities areprovided to them during this period. Also, there should be enough lighting at the airport. Thereshould be adequate seating arrangements for all the passengers. People should be providedwith comfortable seats. There should be an enough variety of cafeterias for snacks and lunch incase of the flight delay.

6. Sanitation: There needs to be a provision of clean toilets with a proper water supply. Toilets

should be cleaned at least twice a day in order to maintain the hygiene. There should be enoughcloak rooms and bathrooms (at least 2-3) so that the long queues in such areas on the airportcan be avoided.

7. Old models of planes: In certain organizations very old models of planes are used as amedium of transportation from one place to another. In order to avoid any discrepancies, theairplanes need to be checked on a regular basis. In case of any damage renovations need to beundertaken on time. The industry should take into consideration that it is the life of manypassengers as well as that of the staff which is at stake. Hence, special care needs to be taken toensure the safety of these passengers.

INTRODUCTION-INDIAN RAILWAYS

India is a land of diverse culture and Indian Railways play a key role in not only meeting thetransport needs of the country, but also in binding together dispersed areas and promotingnational integration. Truly, Indian Railways have emerged as the sinews of the Indian economyand have reached out to bring together the great Indian family. Railways traverse through thelength and breadth of the country covering 63,140 route kms as on 31.3.2002, comprisingbroad gauge (45,099 kms), meter gauge (14,776 kms) and narrow gauge (3,265 kms). As theprincipal constituent of the nations transport system, Indian Railways own a fleet of 2,16,717wagons (units), 39,236 coaches and 7,739 number of locomotives and manage to run 14,444

trains daily, including about 8,702 passenger trains. They carry more than a million tonne offreight traffic and about 14 million passengers covering 6,856 number of stations daily. IndianRailways have been the prime movers to the nation and have the distinction of being one of thelargest railway systems in the world under a single management. Railways being the moreenergy efficient mode of transport are ideally suited for movement of bulk commodities andfor long distance travel. As compared to road transport, the railways have a number ofintrinsic advantages. Railways are five to six times more energy efficient, four times more

efficient in land use and significantly superior from the standpoints or environment

impact and safety. Indian Railways, therefore, rightly occupy pride of place in the growth and


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development of the nation. Railways, being the prime infrastructural sector of the country,need to expand and develop to keep pace with the growth of Indian economy. In nationalemergency, railways have been in the forefront in rushing relief material to disaster strickenregions. The Indian Railway system is managed through zones and operating divisions. As perthe Separation Convention, 1924, the Railway Budget is presented to the Parliament ahead of

the General Budget.

TRAINS IN INDIA

The rail network in India is very extensive and takes you to the remotest corners of the country.You can either opt for a holiday on tourist trains such as - Palace on Wheels, Royal Orient, orchoose the super fast trains for traveling, such as - the Shatabdi and Rajdhani Express or eventravel by regular trains, which are divided into 15 zones.The Indian Railways has the Indrail Pass facility for foreign visitors where they can travelanywhere without any route restriction within the validity of the pass. In addition, the foreigntourists have a special quota on many trains and they can easily get the tickets by paying in

foreign exchange.

I. PALACE ON WHEELS

The Palace on Wheels travel package takes you to a vibrating journey to the royal land of sanddunes and regal palaces. It starts from Delhi and goes to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chitorgarh, BharatpurSactuary .The Palace on wheels is rated as one of the top ten luxury train journeys in the world.It offers you a heart-rending trip to the splendid forts and palaces of Rajasthan in just sevendays. Also, discover the royal history of Taj Mahal in Agra. The journey to the hinterland ofthe desert starts every Wednesday evening at 1800 hrs from Delhi and ends on the followingWednesday early in the morning at 0730 hrs.

The train was replaced by the air-conditioned broad gauges new train, which had 14 saloons, 2restaurants cum kitchen cars, one Bar cum Lounge and 4 service Cars. The cabins of eachsaloon are attached with bath and shower. The train also has a well-appointed lounge, libraryand bar.

Royal Services on Board

Apart from 14 saloons, each having 4 cabins attached with bath and shower, the Palace onWheels has two restaurants cum kitchen cars offering traditional Indian, Continental andChinese cuisine with the Chef's special variety of the day. Its well stocked bar serves Indianliquor and variety of scotch, wine and cocktails. It has piped music in every saloon, and

interesting games for children.

Apart from this, the other services on request include laundry services, and Doctor on call ateach station, barber shop & beauty parlour. The lounge also has a souvenirs shop 'The Bazaar'where souvenirs and gift items are sold bearing the insignia of the POW. The train has indoorgames, Bar, ATM centre, Shopping, Satellite Phone, Medical kit etc. The 7 Night TourOperates Weekly from September to April every year ex Delhi.


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Cost Per Person Per Night In US $From Oct to March For April & Sept *On SingleOccupancy US$ 485 US$ 395 On Twin Sharing US$ 350 US$ 295On Triple Occupancy US$285 US$ 240

II. Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express

India's Pride - The Rajdhani ExpressThe Rajdhani Express, Indias superfast, fully air-conditioned, deluxetrain gives you the unique opportunity of experiencing the IndianRailways at its best. Afternoon snacks and tea are offered after the trainbegins its journey. After an Indian dinner, soft music and the trainsrhythmic movement will lull you to sleep. The train links New Delhi toIndias major cities. Some major destinations of Rajdhani include: NewDelhi, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Fast Forward - The Shatabdi Express

Superfast, intercity trains known as the Shatabdi express link majorcities and offer facilities for quick and comfortable travel. While yourelax, the Shatabdi hospitality treats you to meals and snacks. Beforeyou are through, your destination has arrived. Major destinations ofShatabdi include: Agra, Lucknow, Dehra Dun, Amritsar, Bhopal andMysore.

III. ROYAL ORIENT

Travelling With The Spirits Of Royalty

Welcome to an enchanted journey through Indian history. A journey through two of Indiasmost bewitching states, Gujarat and Rajasthan states rich with dynastic and cultural history.The region that has seen some of the most ferocious battles and courageous kings in Indianhistory. For students of life, two universities of the past. In addition, for traveler, a closeencounter with the oriental mystique.

Pack your bags for a magic journey, through two of India's most culturally and historicallyvibrant states - Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Royal Orient is one of the few extravaganzas left ofan epoch of grandeur. Enjoy yourself in the luxury of this fascinating train, a spectacularconcept in transport, an aesthetic marvel of modern times. Thirteen indescribably wondrous,gold embossed saloon cars recreate the resplendent living of the time of youth.

The luxurious lounge, central air-conditioning, library, television and video entertainment,running hot and cold water and showers, soft channel music, the 'Watering Hole' - the wellstocked bar, restaurant cars with delicious Indian and Continental cuisine and friendly


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attendants, all assure you, that your epic voyage is as fantastic as the Royal Orient itself. TheRoyal Orient begins its journey from Delhi Cantonment.

Destinations covered:- Delhi, Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Mahesana, Ahmedabad, Sasan Gir,Palitana, Jaipur.

IV. Konkan Railways - Traversing Indias West Coast

(Mumbai-Veer-Khed-Chiplun-Ratnagiri-Rajapur Road-Sindhudurg-Mapusa Road-Goa-Udupi-Mangalore-Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram)

A Maze Of Tunnels

The journey is breathtaking. Traveling by train on a 30-metre high embankment, you suddenlyshoot through a tunnel over 3-km long, emerge for a brief moment on terra firma, then rush onto a bridge over a deep gorge. In winter, a stream bursts below you; in summer, the red earth

snakes endlessly on. Catch your breath for a moment; for suspended 50 odd meters above theground, the train travels downwards into yet another tunnel, this one more than 6-km long. Inabout three minutes, you are out again, crossing a bridge over 65m high, the height of a 15-storeyed building. The landscape of the Panvel River below defies description.

You are in Ratnagiri district in southern Maharashtra on the Konkan Railway, the largestrailway project in the world in the last five decades and the largest in South Asia this century.The Rs. 2,000-Crore railway projects connects the coastal areas of Maharashtra, Goa andKarnataka, opening up the picturesque West Coast of India to the train-traveling tourist for thefirst time.

For the Indian Railways, it is the last frontier. The network has been expanding at the rate of1,000 miles a year since the first line was opened from Poribunder to Thane on April 16, 1853.But, though the tracks spanned 53,596-kms across the subcontinent by the time India becameindependent in 1947, there was one important missing link. The broad gauge line from thesouth reached Mangalore by 1907, but the more direct 1,000-kms coastal route betweenMumbai (Bombay) and Mangalore remained unbridged.

Services offered

Catering:The normal transit time of an Expense Train over Konkan Railway ranges between 12 to 13

hrs. And Konkan Railway it involves only one or two meals for the passengers. The ExpressTrains passing over Konkan Railway are provided with pantry Cars with the exception of"Netravati Express", "Matsyagandha Express" and "CSTM-Madgaon Express". KonkanRailway has provided Tea-stalls, Veg. and Non-Veg. Restaurants to serve the traveling public.

STD/ISD PCO Booths At Stations:

Telephone Booth facility for STD/ISD/PCO has been made available at five major stations andfurther contract for fifteen stations has been awarded. These booths will function shortly.


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Award of contract for STD/ ISD/ PCO booths has been made in favour of physicallyhandicapped persons in keeping with the railway boards directive.

Computerised Reservation / Un-Reserved Tickets:

Konkan Railway has been made available Computerised Reservation Tickets facilities through

passenger Reservation System of Mumbai, Secundrabad, New Delhi and Chennai, thus makingit possible to reserve tickets by trains originating from Central, Western, Northern SouthCentral Railways.

Sulabh Sauchalaya:

It has been decided to introduce "Pay and Use" toilet facility at important stations over thisRailway. However, present at facility has been made available at Madgaon station.

The entire Western Coast of India has so far been dependent on a single arterial road, NationalHighway 17, which is now saturated and badly damaged by the rains. Now, the KonkanRailways have become a much-needed alternative in traversing this belt. The Konkan Railway,

a broad gauge single line, extends from Mumbai through the backward areas between Rohaand Mangalore, a distance of 760-km of these, 382-km lie in Maharashtra, 105-km in Goa and273-km in Karnataka.

There are 53 stations on the line, the more important ones being Veer, Khed, Chiplun,Ratnagiri, Rajapur Road, Sindhudurg, Mapusa Road, Goa, Udupi, Mangalore, among others.From southern Karnataka, the Konkan Railway has built a connection with Kerala on thecentral railway line that extends to Kochi (Cochin) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).

Creating New Inroads For Tourism And Industry

Apart from tourism, Indian industry benefits enormously as well, with the railway allowing forreasonable and speedy transport of raw material, finished products and human resources, andlinking major and minor ports along the western coast. With this much-needed infrastructureprovided, the Konkan stretch rich in minerals such as Iron Ore, Bauxite, Chromite, Manganeseand Silica Sand, is expected to see much industrial and economic development.

V. OTHER TRAIN TRAVEL PACKAGES OFFERED:-

1. Golden Triangle Tour by Rail Duration : 06 Days

Destinations : Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Delhi.

2. West & South India by RailDuration : 13 Da

Destinations : Mumbai, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Chennai ,Mysore, Bangalore,Mumbai.

3. Rajasthan with Nepal by RailDuration : 18 Da

Destinations : Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur
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Agra, Varanasi, Kathmandu, Delhi.

4. The Fairy Queen

Duration : 02 DaysDestinations : Delhi Cantt, Sariska, Alwar .

VI. HILL RAIL JOURNEYS IN INDIA

There are live railway trains that ply in the hilly regions of India. Amongst these the bestknown are the 93 kilometer long, 610 mm gauge 'toy' railway spanning the terrain betweenSiligun and Darjeeling in the North-East and the 96 kilometer track of 762 mm gauge thattakes you to Shimla. The third hilly track is the one connecting the 162-kilometer stretchbetween Palhankot and the Kangra valley in Himachal Pradesh. Then there is a 46-kilometerlink between Metlupalayam and Udhagamandalam in the South and a 20-kilometer stretch of610 mm gauge between Neral and Matheran in Maharashtra.

These tiny, quaint little trains take you up to the mountains, beyond the clouds, past littlehamlets and terraced fields, through flower-filled meadows and dense forests, making theirway through tunnels and over bridges at a leisurely pace.

VII. GOODS TRAIN

Indian railways also have an extensive network of goods trains. The changes in Freight Rates,Passenger Fares and Parcel Rates are reflected in the yearly Railway Budget proposed by theRailway ministry .The proposals for adjustments in freight rates, passenger fares and parcelrates, as announced by Minister for Railways, while presenting the Railway Budget 2003-04 in

the Parliament on 26th

February, 2003 are explained below: -

1. Freight Rates

Certain groups of commodities having different classes, based on their different physicalforms, such as lumps, powder, pellets, fines etc. will be assigned a single uniform Class foreach group.

It has been proposed to rationalize the charging of freight for all traffic booked upto 100Kilometers, through a scheme of graded concessions in freight rates as under: -

Distance Slab Freight Concession1 50 km 50% (Fifty percent)

51 75 km 25% (Twenty five percent)

76 90 km 10% (Ten percent)

91 100 km Nil

2. Parcel rates.
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The rate structure for booking of Parcels and Luggage traffic has been rationalized. It has beenproposed that all types of commodities, including Luggage, will be charged uniformally atsame rates, under four different Scales, depending on the type of service namely Rajdhani,Premier, Standard and Economy Parcel service. The four proposed Scales for booking of allarticles will be as under: -

i) Scale-R, for Rajdhani service, by Rajdhani Express trains.

ii) Scale-P, for Premier service, by notified Mail/Express trains.

iii) Scale-S, for Standard service, by other Mail/Express trains, Shatabdi Express trains andParcel Express trains.

iv) Scale-E, for Economy service, by Ordinary Passenger trains.

Newspapers and Magazines will be charged at same rates, under the lowest Scale-E, by all

trains.

VIII. LOCAL TRAINS

One of the most convenient ways of traveling in Mumbai is via local trains. These trainsprovide fast transportation to faraway places within Mumbai. There are three railway lines inthe local train. These include the Central Railways, Western Railways and harbour lines. Thesetrains offer two different kinds of classes first class and second class. There are separatecompartments offered for women. The first class includes a higher fare and cushioned seats.

The local railways provide seasonal passes for regular passengers as well as tickets foroccasional passengers. The provision of passes relieves regular passengers from the burden ofbuying tickets regularly. Apart from tickets and passes, even coupons are provided. There isonly a need to punch these coupons and this saves the need to stand in the long queues to buytickets.

The local railways offer slow as well as fast trains. The fast trains halt at only specific centralstations whereas the slow trains halt at all stations. Announcements are made at all stationsgiving information on the trains arriving and their respective destinations. Recently, theWestern railways have started a new process wherein just before the particular station isapproaching there is an announcement, which tells the passengers, which is the next station.

This is very useful to people who are new to the local trains concept or people who aretraveling for the first time. Local trains are the most convenient mode of transport to travel in acity like Mumbai, which has a very fast and hectic life.

RAILWAY CATERING

Catering Services


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Railway owned and privately run catering facilities (namely the Indian Railway Catering andtourism Corporation Limited.) are now available at 3,152 stations and over 133 pairs of trainsaccross the country. At most big stations and termini, Veg and Non Veg refreshment roomsare available and some of them have a self service system too. Mineral water in bottles andaerated drinks are available at almost all the big stations accross India. Food & Beverage

costs are included in all Shatabdi fares and most Rajdhani fares.

About IRCTC

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is a public sectorcompany set up and fully owned by the Ministry of Railways. This company has been formedto function as an extended arm of the Indian Railways to upgrade, professionalize andmanage the catering and hospitality services at stations, on trains and other locations and topromote domestic and international tourism through development of budget hotels, specialtour packages, information & commercial publicity and global reservation systems.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC Ltd.) goes functional for

adequately harnessing the tourism and catering potential, worth Rs 500 crore, that existson the Indian Railways.

Size for catering/vending stalls at platforms has been standardized, to provide free

movement to the passengers. About 1000 stalls over Indian Railways have beenreconstructed and 1,500 stalls will be replaced in the current financial year.

Automatic Vending Machines for dispensing cold and hot beverages have been provided

to make platforms free from cooking and to control pollution. This has also helped inmaintaining hygiene, cleanliness and quality of products. Sale of Bidi/Cigarettes atstations and in trains is prohibited.

To enter into joint ventures with State Tourism Corporations to provide comprehensivetourist packages, which will include fare, boarding, lodging and sight seeing charges.

Future plans:

MoU signed between Ministry of Railways and Maharashtra TourismCorporation for running new luxury trains similar to Palace on Wheels onMumbai-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg-Goa-Pune-Aurangabad-Ajanta & Ellora-Nasik-Mumbai route.

IRCTC and KTDC will be jointly launching special tour package for Keralaon the lines of Mata Vaishnao Devi package shortly.

CLASSES

The Indian Railways have 8 Classes of accomodation available. They are as under-Ist Class AC Sleeper Car, AC 2 Tier Sleeper Car, AC 3 Tier Sleeper Car, AC Chair Car, FirstClass Ordinary, Sleeper Class Ordinary, Chair Car Ordinary and General Class Ordinary.

A brief description about the various classes available in Indian trains are given as follows:


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Chair Car (Airconditioned)

Sitting only with comfortable push-back seats (3 by 2) in each row with passage in betweenand two western style toilets in each compartment. Meals, mineral water, tea/coffee are

served according to the timings of the travel & included in the ticket price. STD & ISDfacility are also available & payable through credit cards. This class is only available inShatabdi Express & few other express trains running on short routes.

Executive Chair Car (Airconditioned)

Sitting only with luxury push back seats (2 by 2) in each row with passage space in between.Meals, mineral water, tea / coffee are served according to the timings of the travel & includedin the ticket price (better meals are served in this class). STD & ISD facility are also available& payable through credit cards. This class is only available in Shatabdi Express.

1st Class A/C Sleeper

In this class, two types of cabins are available: Cabin for four passengers, which can be locked from inside. Each cabin has two lowerberths & two upper berths. Cabin for two passengers (most suitable for honeymoon couples), which can be lockedfrom inside. Each cabin has one lower berth & one upper berth.

Dressing mirror, small table, bed rolls, first aid box are available with the Guard. However,meals are available only in Rajdhani Express & few other super fast trains.

2nd Class A/C Sleeper (also known as 2 Tier A/C sleeper)

In this class, seats / sleepers are divided in two parts with passage in between. One side hasfour berths (two lower & two upper) but they cannot be locked. Curtains are provided forprivacy. The other side has two berths (one lower & one upper) with curtains.

Dressing mirror & bed rolls are also available. However, meals are available only in RajdhaniExpress & few other super fast trains.

Second class:Seats/berths (in some cases wooden and in some cushioned) and toilets (Indian style). We do

not recommend second class travel for travellers.

RESERVATION

Reservation System

The Computerised reservation system of the Indian Railways today covers 92% of thereservation requirement on IR. The Computerised system is available at 270 + locations acrossthe country including places such as Srinagar, Port Blair, Shillong and Panjim which do not


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have a direct rail link. The facility is available at multiple locations in all metros and most bigtowns. Master and Visa Credit Cards are accepted in most locations.

Reservation Fees

Reservation fee is payable on reserved ticket @ Rs. 35/- for AC 1st class, Rs. 25/- for AC 2Tier Sleeper/AC 3 Teir Sleeper/First Class/AC chair Car and Rs 20/- for Sleeper Class and Rs15/- for Second Class Ordinary.

Superfast Surcharge

Trains starting with the numbers 2*** are classified as Super fast trains on the IndianRailways. A supplementary surcharge of Rs.5/- on Second Class, Rs 10/- on Sleeper Class,Rs.15/- on First Class/AC 2 Tier Sleeper/AC 3 Tier Sleeper/AC Chair Car and Rs 25/- on ACFirst Class tickets.

Refund Rules

If an unused ticket without reservation is presented upto 3 hours after the departure of the train,full fare after deducting Rs.10/- per passenger, will be refunded. Tickets with reservation canbe presented before departure and upto a certain time after the departure of the train for refund.The scale of deduction is different for the different classes of reserved tickets. No cancellationcharges shall be levied on RAC/wait-listed tickets unless confirmed reservation has beenprovided at any time upto the final preparation of the reservation charts. Clearage of Rs.10/-per passenger will, however be payable.

Lost TicketsNo claim for refund is entertained in the case of lost, misplaced, or torn tickets. However, ifyou have lost a reserved ticket, the Railway may, at its discretion permit you to travel on thesame reservation on payment of certain charges.

Facility provided to MP, MLA, Senior Citizens, and Handicapped persons seeking

reservation for themselves and when they come personally:

They will be attended to separately at the same counters where general passengers are dealtwith. This facility is available only at places where separate counters for them are not provided.

Change in the name of a passenger for confirmed reservation

A change of name in reservation is permitted by the Station Superintendent/Station Master orany Railway servant authorized by Railway Administration on written requisition tendered bythe party 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the train.(only in certain circumstances)

Indrail Passes


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To provide easy and comfortable journey to foreign tourists, the Indian Railways haveintroduced the facility of Indrail Passes for point-to-point travel without route or trainrestrictions including Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains within the period of validity.Indrail passes are sold only to foreign nationals and Indians residing abroad holding validpassports against payment in US$ or Pound Sterling. A tourist travelling on an Indrail Pass is

exempted from any other charges whatsoever.

Bed Rolls

Travel bags, more popularly known as Bed Rolls, can be hired for overnight journeys in AC1st Class, AC 2 Tier, AC 3 Tier and First Class ordinary. The cost of a bed roll is Rs.20/-. OnRajdhani Express trains bed rolls are provided free of cost in all classes except AC chair car.Some other superfast trains also provide bed rolls free of cost on 1st AC and AC 2-Tier. BedRolls have to be paid for on all non superfast trains for all classes they are available for. Forsome trains bed rolls have to be booked in advance at the time of booking your ticket. On most

trains it is possible to board the train and request the attendant of the coach to provide you withone. However it is advisable to check on availability before hand.

Cloak Rooms

All major stations and termini have 'cloakrooms' where passengers may leave luggage for up toa month. The charge starts from Rs.5 or more per 24 hours for the first two days and then risesin day stages according to the total time of deposit. There are also safe deposit lockers at somestations. There are regulations about the weight of luggage that can be stored in the cloakrooms/lockers. It is advisable to lock and secure your luggage before leaving them in these

cloak rooms/lockers.

Retiring Rooms

Railway retiring rooms are available at most major junctions and stations, especially touristcenters. Retiring rooms provide cheap accommodation to tourists. The accommodation rangesfrom AC rooms, non-AC rooms, dormitories, single bed/double bedrooms and so on. The ratesfor each differ but are heavily subsidized. Most retiring rooms provide attached baths andtoilets. Apart from these, most stations have waiting rooms for passengers waiting for a train orstaying overnight.

INNOVATIONS

Indian Railway is constantly looking for new ideas to simplify and streamline procedures for the

convenience of passengers. In this endeavor they have introduced several path-breaking

technologies on the Railway system over the years. These technical innovations have included

the computerisation of reserved passenger tickets amongst several other facilities for

passengers. As we introduce new facilities on the railway system, we are tempted to take a

peek into the past. The legacy of the 150 years of railways in India is not only filled by the


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memories of the steam run trains puffing over the countryside, it is also of cardboard tickets,

one for the fare and the other for reservation and of course, the memories of sending

telegrams for return reservation to the station master from where one was to begin the returnjourney. With the introduction of the computerisation of reserved tickets, these memories have

been relegated to the past. It is now considered to be a basic minimum requirement to acquire

confirmed reservation for traveling, at one's convenience and proceed on a journey carrying a

confirmed ticket for the return journey. This has been achieved only in the last quarter of the

last century.

To take this facility to its logical conclusion, Railway is now introducing a system for

unreserved tickets. Sanctioned as a pilot project by the Ministry of Railway, this project is

planned to be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, 10 stations of Delhi area areprovided with booking terminals. These stations are New Delhi, Delhi Jn., Hazrat Nizammudin,

Delhi-Shahdra, Ghaziabad, Shakurbasti, Delhi Kishanganj, Sarojini Nagar, Shivaji Bridge &

Tilak Bridge. The Hon'ble Minister for Railways, Shri Nitish Kumarhas inaugurated theterminals at New Delhi Stations on 15th August, 2002. This will enable passengers to purchasean unreserved ticket from anyone of these counters 30 days in advance of undertaking the

journey from any station to any destination. Thus, passengers will have the freedom to

purchase tickets at their convenience. Since the passengers will not be time bound to purchase

tickets, there will be considerable reduction of congestion at ticket booking windows for

unreserved tickets. In the second phase 13 other stations of Delhi area are provided with

booking terminals on 2nd October, 2002. The stations are:- Delhi Sadar Bazar, Dayabasti,

Subzi Mandi, Delhi Azadpur, Okhla, Sewa Nagar, New Azadpur, Badli, Vivek Vihar, Sahibabad,

Vivekanandpuri, New Gaziabad and Mangolpuri.

In addition to this facility, unreserved tickets will continue to be available through the manual

system and the Self Printing Ticketing Machines, wherever such facilities are available. With

the introduction of this system, the Railways will also benefit in several ways. These are :

Keeping pace with the latest technology

Encouraging passengers to purchase their tickets in advance

To have online accountability of tickets sales.

To have a rational analysis of the demand of passengers on various routes in advance,so as to augment trains as per requirement.

Indian railways are also developing new coach designs which are fire proof. This fulfilssafety requirement. Since the last 2 years Shatabdi trains have been made available for themasses in general.

ARTICLES

1). PANEL CALL TO IMPROVE CATERING IN RAILWAYS

MUMBAI, SEPT. 6. The Passenger Services Committee (PSC) of the Indian Railways hascalled for improvement in standards of hygiene and quality of materials procured by therailway catering services.The Chairman of the PSC of the Railway Ministry, Mr.Raj Kishore Mahato, told reporters lastnight that during surprise checks in railway kitchens it was found that none of them werefollowing the standards set up by railway catering policy on personal hygiene and food safety.``After the food poisoning case in the Calcutta-Delhi Rajdhani Express in July last, it becameall the more important to improve the situation in the catering section,'' he added.


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Although a new catering policy has been introduced, none of the concerned persons wereaware of it, he said. ``We have prepared Indian Railways bulletin on personal hygiene and foodsafety and are circulating it to all kitchens,'' he said.In fact, during a surprise check on the Rajadhani Catering Kitchen, the committee found thatthe quality of Basmati and Parimal rice were not satisfactory and the concerned supplier's name

was cancelled, he added. Mr.Mahato also said that the railways would gradually abolish theirown catering and give it to private contractors in a phased manner. Mr.Mahato is heading thenewly formed high-powered six-member committee, aimed at improving tourism and cateringin Indian Railways.Mr.Mahato said regularization of license for hawkers is also being taken up as the surveyduring the last three months has shown that most of the hawkers are having three or moreshops with a single license, which deprives Railways of their due income.Regarding passenger facilities on basic amenities in places like Mumbai, where 60 lakhcommuters travel daily in railways, Mr.Mahato suggested that of even one per cent of the dailyincome (Rs 1 crore) is used for improving the facilities, Mumbai people would benefit a greatdeal.

``The Railway Board is looking into these possibilities and assured to improve the situation,''he said.-PTI

2) IRCTC LAUNCHES FIRST FOOD PLAZA IN PUNE

Targets 50 Food Plazas By March 2003

With a thrust on developing rail tourism, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism

Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), launched its first food plaza on May 5 at Pune followed by thesecond one scheduled to come up in Mumbai. According to Vinod Asthana, group generalmanager, IRCTC Ltd, We aim at establishing at least 50 such food plazas by the financialyear end of March 2003. These multicuisine multi-outlet food plazas are not a revenuegenerating exercise but an endeavor to facilitate and promote rail tourism. These 2000 squarefeet expanses offer both self-service and sit-down meal options. Passengers will get theopportunity of having their favourite brand of fast food like Dominos, McDonalds, HungryJack, Pizzahut, Barista etc, as these food plazas will be sub-contracted many private players.

According to Asthana, RadhaKrishna Hospitality Services (RKHS) and McDonalds havetogether bagged the railway contract for the second food plaza to come up at Mumbai Central

station, Mumbai. This will be the first station location for both parties, especially McDonalds,who till date have had only suburban locations. The Mumbai Central project is expected to be a125-seater service, which will be divided between the two parties, which will operate theirservices as independent entities. RKHS is contemplating a counter service style operations,which will provide parceled food or food-on-the-go.

Bangalore, Chennai, CST - Mumbai, Dadar - Mumbai, Nashik, Indore, Bhopal, Agra, Jaipur,Delhi and Nizamuddin are reportedly among the stations earmarked for future food plazaprojects.


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3) INDIAN RAILWAYS MOVING TOWARDS BETTER PASSENGERAND GOODS SERVICES

On 16th April, 1853 the first ever railway train carrying 400 people in 14 carriages ranbetween Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane. The subsequent years witnessed a rapid

expansion of railway system in India. At present India has the distinction of having the largestrailway system in Asia and the second largest in the world under a single management. About13,000 trains run daily on 63,000 route kilometres of track spread all over the country.Everyday about 1.3 crore passengers travel on the Indian Railways and about 14 lakh metrictonnes of goods are transported to different places.

After Independence a fresh impetus was given to the growth and expansion of the railwaysystem. Today, the Indian Railways is organized into nine zones and Metro Railway, Kolkata,which are coordinated and managed by an apex body - the Railway Board. The railways inIndia being a State enterprise, the Railway Board is also known as the Ministry of Railways.Each of the nine zones covers a large geographical ar

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