If Indian Railways really intends a transformation, then it needs to get its people-centric basics right. The Union Government's aim to transform rail travel experience for the better, requires a lot more effort than is visible today
Modiji ko boliye ye line clear karayein,” a pantry boy of the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express quipped, only to see an instant counter coming from his own colleague: “Ismein Modiji kya karenge, aise bhi wo abhi busy hain raeeson ka kaala dhan nikalwane mein.” Somehow, one could sense a feeling of elation within the latter as he spoke about the action against the moneybags.
With dense fog playing mayhem, forcing the Delhi-bound train, just like hundreds of others, to make long stopovers at undesignated places and alongside fields in Uttar Pradesh, the pantry boys were indulging in some chit-chat with passengers who had alighted to find out the reason for the inordinate delay. It had been over a two hours’ halt for this train as it awaited a green signal to move forward on the Allahabad-Kanpur stretch. Turned out, there were other trains stuck up ahead along the route, which the pantry boy wanted Modi to get it cleared.
The matter-of-fact remarks of the staffers indicated at the expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to correct every wrong in the system, and also the perception among the lower strata of the masses about the intended aim of the demonetisation drive.
A section of passengers chipped in, sarcastically suggesting that Modi put the existing railways system on track first, before venturing into the bullet train project. Its refrain: “Fog or no fog, Indian Railways hasn’t changed despite the hyperbole.”
Not without reason. Notwithstanding the railways’ publicised thrust on improvement, there aren’t any marked changes in the quality of on-board services being offered to the passengers by India’s largest public transporter.
The train’s pantry management was supposedly alerted about a possible delay, due to fog conditions, that could extend to dinner time. It was thus asked to be ready to serve both the unscheduled lunch and the dinner to passengers. Passengers weren’t left high and dry, but the food served wasn’t enough for grown-up adults: Four pooris and aloo sabzi for lunch, two parathas and aloo sabzi for dinner. And yes, you have to pay for your second bottle of water even if your national carrier is 16.5 hours behind schedule.
One can understand the difficulties faced by Indian Railways and the pantry management in such situations. But, what about the daily routine services that still leave a lot to be desiredIJ
The menu is as old as the Rajdhanis, with the omelette (with countable onions) retaining its tastelessness over the years; cockroaches continue to have a free run; the woollen blankets now have a cover, at least in Rajdhani, but have stains; the used white pillow covers are changed by the coach attendant only after a firm insistence by the passenger concerned; and toilets, perhaps, the benchmark for cleanliness, continue to stink like the good old days, even in this time of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan. And Rajdhani is a premium train!
The Rajdhani experience apart, one wonders what made the railways have one-minute stoppages at certain stations. To cite an example, the Delhi-bound Telangana Express has a one-minute stoppage at a station called Manchiryal in Telangana, and a two-minute stoppage time on its return.
Though the coach-positioning display boards help passengers place themselves accordingly ready with their bag and baggage, it is not often that the train stops exactly at the designated place. In such a scenario, the move towards the shifted goalpost itself consumes more than half the designated time of one minute.
Now imagine a mother carrying an infant, or a disabled, or a senior citizen, or a patient, or for that matter, a family— all with luggage — having to board at such stations, with just a single overworked coolie in sight. If there are passengers who have to alight at that station, then the scheduled boarders would have to wait for them to disembark before showing all their superhuman swiftness to board. Their plight is anyone’s guess.
The relatively lesser importance of the station and the size of traffic there could be a reason for the short stoppage time. But, even so, the one-minute time-frame defies logic.
In Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s turf in Nagpur, there’s a minor chaos at the station platforms teeming with passengers. Being cleaned around 9.30 am, they are all wet. Wetness apart, passengers even had a tough time negotiating the wires of the cleaning machine. On one platform, water was being sprinkled with a mug and passengers were being alerted at the last moment to move away, lest they got drenched. A scramble ensued with every alert. And Indians do not travel light. Normally, one sees such cleaning exercises in the wee hours when there are fewer passengers at the stations.
If Indian Railways really intends a transformation, then it needs to get its people-centric basics right.
(The writer is Deputy Chief of Bureau, The Pioneer)