Last 30 yrs I have been crisscrossing our dear country using the Indian Railways.
I would like to share my recent experience of another travel schedule.
Dt Trn# Pnr# From To
27/06/17 22882 6101362388 Bbs Gr
29/06/17 22881 8658970894 Gr Bbs
The...
more... train departed on time from Bbs, but during the journey, it picked up a substantial delay of about 1:30 Hrs as it reached Secundrabad Jn.
However, we were pleasantly surprised to note, the train not only wiped off the delay during its run from Secundrabad to Wadi Jn, but had reached Wadi 00:45 Mins BEFORE scheduled arrival!
This is the FIRST occasion in my entire traveling period of over 30 Yrs of travel in Indian Railways!
In other cases – the best I had experienced was a wipe off some amount of delay picked up during the journey, but covering 90 mins delay with a 45 mins before time arrival at a stn. surely was a FIRST time experience for me.
However, there were other firsts too during this trip!
The bed sheets supplied were “as usual” in torn paper packets & without towel.
When asked, the coach bedroll attendant said there was “no supply” of towels.
As the train moved off Bhubaneswar, we saw the attendant started selling “cold drinking water bottles” @ Rs 30/- per bottle. When a fellow passenger asked about the “enhanced” price, he smartly replied the charge was for “cooling” & towards service charge for supplying the bottle in a moving train.
Our train didn’t have a pantry car.
Next morning, the same man started collecting orders for breakfast @ Rs 70/- for Veg & Rs 90/- for Non Veg breakfast packets along with offering his “special water bottles”.
However the bigger surprise was there in store for me.
When I found by this time some passengers were using the hand towels, I asked him again if the towel were available.
He replied towels would be supplied to the people who needed them – i.e. people who were having food & needed to clean themselves.
So, you see, the “incentive” offered for placing food orders with him at very high & inflated rates was getting the benefit of using the railway towel for “free”.
Splendid work plan indeed!
Since I did not order anything from him, he opined I would not be eligible for the towel.
By now, I could understand why the bed sheet packet was torn.
Next, the man came to collect orders for lunch.
He offered Veg Lunch @ Rs 100/- & Non Veg Lunch @ Rs 150/-, which I refused to buy.
He said on my face that I was a “bogus” passenger as I was not buying anything from his gang of operators selling food on the train.
What this man was actually doing was collecting the food packets from his “preferred vendors” on the station platforms at a “special rate” & then supplying it to his clients in the train at the agreed price.
Smart entrepreneurship indeed!
I would also like to mention here, men with IRCTC shirts were selling readymade tea @ Rs 10/- ten per cup & when I protested on the price one of the vendors actually took away the paper cup from me saying that he needed to pay commission to the coach attendant for his sales on the AC coaches & therefore I would have to pay the higher price. Take it or leave it. He also said I am free to lodge a complaint with the railway & they care very little about it.
Anyway, as I was determined not to support this loot, I continued feeding myself through platform vendors during the journey.
Dear Mr. Prabhu Sir, what a mess here too!
I give you the following information irrespective of whether the station is VSKP, BZA or SC:
Item Price
3 Idlis Rs 40/-
3 Vadas Rs 40/-
1 idly 1 Vada Rs 40/-
Packed Meals (Veg / N Veg) Not available
Janta Khana Not available
Veg Biriani Rs 50/-
Egg Biriani Rs 60/-
Chicken Biriani Rs 120/-
Even the kiosks displaying IRCTC credentials displayed their menu with prices which I feel was highly inflated.
At BZA when I tried to take a snap of this painted rate list, the person manning the stall threatened me with dire consequences.
He said if I do not agree with the displayed price, I better not buy from him but I had no business in taking a snap of the rate chart displayed.
Anyway I reached my destination 00:10 mins behind schedule.
Next day, I took the same train back to Bbs.
The same attendant came to me with the “special” water bottles & after some time, for the dinner order.
I asked him for the hand towel.
This time, he recognized me & “gave” me the towel.
But his antiques with other passengers continued in full spirit.
I must say, this guy is definitely a “smart” “brave” “entrepreneur” & has already “started up” his enterprise on moving trains!
Could we expect some action on the reported matters please?
