Issues with Indian railways

What is the issue?

Recent CAG report on railways pointed out that the service provided by railways lacks quality in the present competitive market.

What are the issues with service quality?

• Food - Reports submitted by CAG on the quality of food served to passengers by the Indian railways was not satisfying.
• The CAG also found the blankets supplied to passengers in AC compartments were dirty.
• There are rising complaints over unclean toilets and sanitation accessories provided to the passengers.
• Charges - Railways were levying a surcharge for journey on “superfast” trains when these often ran late.
• Redressal mechanism - The complaints raised by passengers on different issues are not addressed properly by the authorities.

What are the challenges to Indian railways?

• Competitors - An internal study on railways shows there is declining passenger rate due to bus and air services.
• The share of intercity passengers are also in a threat due to poor service and cheap private bus services.
• Business class passengers who used to travel in elite coaches were now turning to air travel, due to poor services and introduction of schemes like UDAN.
• Role of industries - Industrial slow down as contributed to the drop in the railway freight business.
• At a time of industrial slowdown, shipment of bulk commodities will be sluggish.
• The total tonnage carried also actually went down, compared to the 2016.
• Renewable energy - The Railways is particularly vulnerable because around half of the freight traffic comes from carrying coal.
• India has stopped conceiving new coal-fired power projects to addresses global warming concerns over burning of fossil fuels.

What measures are proposed?

• Freight - New operational setups in logistics like private players will improve the business.
• Smaller cargoes need to be targeted and door to door delivery with the cooperation of logistics companies will help.
• Dedicated freight corridors will simultaneously address both the needs of freight and passenger traffic.
• Tariffs - The passenger services should be made affordable by raising Industrial freight rates.
• There is a need for a regulator to recommend fare rises and pricing decisions.
• Food - To immediately address the issue of poor quality food, food can be made optional so passengers can bring their own food and get a discount.
• Amenities - On blankets, a pilot has been launched to raise minimum temperatures under air conditioning and stop supplying blankets.
• There are also reports that the National Institute of Fashion Technology will design light blankets which can be cleaned easily but the immediate reaction is to downgrade the product.

Source: Business Line