With a view to facilitate the passengers, in recent past, Indian Railways have taken various steps, some of which are as under:

i. Introduction of the Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme known as ‘VIKALP’ to give option to waitlisted passengers to shift to alternate train having vacant accommodation.

ii. Provision of facility to physical handicapped persons to book reserved tickets online.

iii. Introduction of paperless unreserved tickets on mobile.

iv. Provision of All India 24×7 helpline No. 138.

v. Automatic refund of confirmed/RAC/e-tickets on cancellation of trains.

vi. Launching of Hindi Portal of IRCTC.

vii. Enhancement of Senior Citizen Quota as well as quota earmarked for physically handicapped persons.

viii. Making provision in the system for preparation of reservation charts at least four hours before the scheduled departure of train.

ix. Provision of facility to book available accommodation after preparation of first reservation chart through internet as well as across any computerized PRS counter.

x. E-ticketing facility to foreign debit/credit cards for foreign tourists and non-resident Indians (NRIs).

The announcements made in the Rail Budget 2016-17 are being monitored to ensure their implementation at the earliest. A large number of announcements have already been implemented or action initiated to implement them, some of which are enhancement of Senior Citizen Quota, Extension of ‘VIKALP’ Scheme, ticket booking through international credit/debit card, cancellation of tickets through Railway Enquiry No.139, extending e-catering services to all 408 A1 and A class stations, availability of adequate wheel chairs, enforcing reservation in catering units to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Class, Women and Divyang etc., making mandatory catering services optional in trains, availability of children’s menu items on trains as well as baby food at stations, exploring the feasibility of providing an option to the customers for drinking tea in Kulhad etc.

Ministry of Railways has not proposed any such scheme.

( Waiting list of train is monitored on regular basis and to cater to additional rush during peak periods, special trains are run and load of existing trains are augmented subject to operational feasibility.

This Press Release is based on information given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Communications and Minister of State for Railways in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.07.2016 (Wednesday).