Sir — It is a welcome relief that the Indian Railways has outsourced a few compartment-related activities in the air-conditioned coaches of many trains across the country, to facility-management companies which have already made a distinct impression as far as neatness within the compartments is concerned. Not long back, it was impossible to have such visages in Indian trains, with dirty compartments greeting passengers boarding the coaches.
With the Railways Ministry proposing a slew of reforms, are we to believe that the commuters are in for an experience that would equal, if not exceed, the pleasures of an airline travelIJ Beginning with a plan to make railway stations more welcoming, the decision by the railways to join the outsourcing bandwagon, can be seen as a motivating factor which allows travellers to have a comfortable journey.
There is a need to involve more private players to manage various facilities, considering that Indian Railways is indisputably one of the world’s largest railway networks, catering to the travelling needs of more than 23 million passengers a day. At the same time, let us also not forget that Indian Railways is the poor man’s mode of transport.