Absence of reservation charts a huge inconvenience at Chennai Central railway station
By B Anbuselvan | Express News Service | Published: 29th January 2018 01:55 AM |
The Karaikudi-bound Pallavan Express seen without reservation charts
CHENNAI: A move by Southern Railway to stop pasting reservation charts on trains has forced hundreds of elderly commuters, particularly those with IRCTC tickets and not conversant with operating mobile phones, to run from pillar to post to find their berths.
The practice to do away with reservation charts began as a pilot project in trains originating at Chennai Central for three months from October 2. Though it has been more than three months, railways has not made any official announcement on discontinuing the reservation charts. However, they have stopped pasting charts on trains at Chennai Egmore as well. Nearly 60 per cent of trains originating at Madurai, Tiruchy and Coimbatore also are being operated without reservation charts. The decision has put thousands in ordeal, particularly the elderly.
S Kamaraj (72), a retired health official of S S Colony in Madurai told Express he and his 64-year-old wife were made to run behind each and every travelling ticket examiners (TTE) to find their berths in Pandian Express last week. “My son told us that he messaged the ticket details to my mobile. And, while entering the station, I dropped the mobile and it got damaged. I am not sure whether it was S5 or S7. When I approached a TTE, we were asked to check with other TTEs. of waiting, we found our berths and boarded the train just a few seconds before departure,” he said.
The problems without reservation charts are plenty, say commuters. It ranges from non-receipt of ticket details through mobiles while booking tickets in IRCTC to more passengers claiming the same berth and boarding wrong trains.
Commuters say the train compartments get chaotic when the same berth is demanded by more than one passenger. The situation worsens when the train has less number of TTE’s or no TTEs at times. Due to shortage of staff, TTEs are asked to examine the tickets of passengers in three to four coaches. It goes to six coaches when other staff go on emergency leave. Mostly, elderly passengers are the worst affected.
Another traveller, R Shanmugam of Southern Railway Passengers Association said a month ago, while travelling to Dindigul, he and his relative waited for nearly two hours to get two berths from another passenger who disputed that berths were allotted to him. “After the train reached Katpadi, we informed a TTE and got the reservation chart verified and got the berths. The employee said the entire sleeper coach has one TTE for seven coaches,” he added.
The absence of reservation charts also add to the woes of last minute commuters who travel on Chennai-Katpadi and Chennai-Villupuram sections frequently. Earlier, rail passengers from Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Arakkonam, Katpadi, Ambur, Jolarpet, Tiruvallur and Walajah who travel with unreserved second class tickets to and from Chennai Central and Egmore take the reserved coaches of day time express by paying the reservation fee of `15 to TTE. Ever since these trains started operating without charts on their exterior, passengers hesitated to board the reserved coaches as they were not sure of availability of seats.
Since then, during weekdays Chennai-Tirupati Sapthagiri Express, Chennai-Coimbatore Intercity, Chennai-Bengaluru Express, Chennai-Bengaluru Lalbagh Express, Chennai-Madurai Vaigai Express and Chennai- Karaikudi Pallavan express operated with fully reserved class passengers.
When contacted a senior official said they were awaiting orders from railway board on the procedures to be followed on reservation charts. “On receipt of revised guidelines, we will make the necessary changes. As of now, reservation charts are to be slowly phased out,” he concluded.
Large elderly population
According to the 2011 census, Tamil Nadu has 7.21 crore population out of which 9.9 per cent (nearly 71 lakhs) are in the age group of 60+. A study conducted by United Nations Population Fund in June 2017 estimated the elderly population in the State at 11.2 per cent, second highest in the country after Kerala
By B Anbuselvan | Express News Service | Published: 29th January 2018 01:55 AM |
The Karaikudi-bound Pallavan Express seen without reservation charts
CHENNAI: A move by Southern Railway to stop pasting reservation charts on trains has forced hundreds of elderly commuters, particularly those with IRCTC tickets and not conversant with operating mobile phones, to run from pillar to post to find their berths.
The practice to do away with reservation charts began as a pilot project in trains originating at Chennai Central for three months from October 2. Though it has been more than three months, railways has not made any official announcement on discontinuing the reservation charts. However, they have stopped pasting charts on trains at Chennai Egmore as well. Nearly 60 per cent of trains originating at Madurai, Tiruchy and Coimbatore also are being operated without reservation charts. The decision has put thousands in ordeal, particularly the elderly.
S Kamaraj (72), a retired health official of S S Colony in Madurai told Express he and his 64-year-old wife were made to run behind each and every travelling ticket examiners (TTE) to find their berths in Pandian Express last week. “My son told us that he messaged the ticket details to my mobile. And, while entering the station, I dropped the mobile and it got damaged. I am not sure whether it was S5 or S7. When I approached a TTE, we were asked to check with other TTEs. of waiting, we found our berths and boarded the train just a few seconds before departure,” he said.
The problems without reservation charts are plenty, say commuters. It ranges from non-receipt of ticket details through mobiles while booking tickets in IRCTC to more passengers claiming the same berth and boarding wrong trains.
Commuters say the train compartments get chaotic when the same berth is demanded by more than one passenger. The situation worsens when the train has less number of TTE’s or no TTEs at times. Due to shortage of staff, TTEs are asked to examine the tickets of passengers in three to four coaches. It goes to six coaches when other staff go on emergency leave. Mostly, elderly passengers are the worst affected.
Another traveller, R Shanmugam of Southern Railway Passengers Association said a month ago, while travelling to Dindigul, he and his relative waited for nearly two hours to get two berths from another passenger who disputed that berths were allotted to him. “After the train reached Katpadi, we informed a TTE and got the reservation chart verified and got the berths. The employee said the entire sleeper coach has one TTE for seven coaches,” he added.
The absence of reservation charts also add to the woes of last minute commuters who travel on Chennai-Katpadi and Chennai-Villupuram sections frequently. Earlier, rail passengers from Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Arakkonam, Katpadi, Ambur, Jolarpet, Tiruvallur and Walajah who travel with unreserved second class tickets to and from Chennai Central and Egmore take the reserved coaches of day time express by paying the reservation fee of `15 to TTE. Ever since these trains started operating without charts on their exterior, passengers hesitated to board the reserved coaches as they were not sure of availability of seats.
Since then, during weekdays Chennai-Tirupati Sapthagiri Express, Chennai-Coimbatore Intercity, Chennai-Bengaluru Express, Chennai-Bengaluru Lalbagh Express, Chennai-Madurai Vaigai Express and Chennai- Karaikudi Pallavan express operated with fully reserved class passengers.
When contacted a senior official said they were awaiting orders from railway board on the procedures to be followed on reservation charts. “On receipt of revised guidelines, we will make the necessary changes. As of now, reservation charts are to be slowly phased out,” he concluded.
Large elderly population
According to the 2011 census, Tamil Nadu has 7.21 crore population out of which 9.9 per cent (nearly 71 lakhs) are in the age group of 60+. A study conducted by United Nations Population Fund in June 2017 estimated the elderly population in the State at 11.2 per cent, second highest in the country after Kerala
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