He’s perhaps the most no-nonsense Railways Minister we’ve ever seen. Presenting his second Indian Railways budget, Suresh Prabhu was restrained in promises and yet promised Indians a number of improvements they can expect to find in the railways over the coming year.
Here are the 16 awesome things that will coming soon:
- The fares remain the same. You won’t have to pay a paisa more.
- There’s going to be an Antyodaya Express which will only have unreserved tickets and will be a superfast service.
- Utkrisht Double-Decker Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY) Express on the Indian Railways’ busiest routes where a journey is an overnight one. The trains will have double-decker air-conditioned coaches.
- You will soon be able to cancel trains by calling the 139 helpline and using an OTP that will be sent to your registered mobile number.
- You will be able to arrange for the cleaning of your coach by just sending an SMS.
- There will be toilets on all platforms of major stations for women, senior citizens and differently-abled.
- It will become easier to book battery operated cars, porters and wheelchairs at major stations
- All stations being redeveloped will be made accessible for differently abled and wheelchairs will be made available in sufficient numbers at all major stations.
- Railways will soon provide travel insurance to passengers which they can opt for while booking their tickets online.
- Under Janani Sewa, it will be easier for passengers travelling with infants. There will be a menu with children’s items on it, baby foods, hot milk and hot water.
- SMART (Specially Modified Aesthetic Refreshing Travel) Coaches coming soon which will have automatic doors, bar-code readers, bio-vacuum toilets, water-level indicators, accessible dustbins, ergonomic seating, improved aesthetics, vending machines, entertainment screens and a public announcement system.
- Information boards in trains that will state the on-board services in the train and also GPS-based digital displays inside coaches that will give real-time information on upcoming stations.
- The railways will invite FM Radio stations to providing entertainment on trains through the public announcement system. You will also get the Railways’ in-train magazine ‘Rail Bandhu’ in all reserved coaches in all regional languages.