Vande Bharat- Vande Railways- Kudos Indian Railways
Author: Dr. K.S. Kang
A few days ago I had an opportunity to travel in the latest version of Indian Railway train popularly known as Vande Bharat. This made me realise the great leap in the journey of the growth of Indian Railways that had taken place in the last few decades. Of course reaching this stage of development is the output of hard work, grit, determination of railway engineers, staff and the workers. I remember that in my childhood days steam engines, running on coals, used to pull the train. In those days that is seventh decade of twentieth century it used to take three days long journey to cover the distance of about one thousand kilometre from my father’s working place in Rajasthan to my parent’s ancestral villages in Punjab. Trains were slower and often ran behind their schedule by 6 to 8 hours and it was popular a joke about Indian Railways those days that a train moved into its destination station exactly on time. Taking it to be credit Railway staff of the station congratulated the driver and guard of the train for keeping the time. They were baffled as to why people were congratulating them as they were neither retiring from service that day nor they had been promoted. When they came to know the cause of celebration their reply was that this train is not on time but 24 hours behind its schedule and it is yesterday’s train that has entered the station.
As in those days trains were pulled by steam engines, running on coal, so it used to emit a great cloud of dark smoke from its chimney and its soot used to deposit on the clothes and faces of the passengers travelling in it making them nearly irrecongizable. Before proceeding further another popular joke of those days related to railways. Once a ticket checker asked a lady about the age of her identical twin children as to know who is the elder one and who is the younger one. Ticket checker was taken aback by her curt reply “ first of all I’ll need some water to wash their faces and remove the dark coal soot from their faces then only she will be able to tell as to who is younger and who is elder one”. Even the railway coaches used to have wooden planks to sit or sleep which used to be quite inconvenient and uncomfortable. In short it used to bone jolting journey even in the reservation coaches of Indian trains.
Gradually the steam engines were replaced by diesel locomotives that improved the speed and punctuality of the trains to some extent and the berths and seats at least in reservation coaches became more comfortable as wooden planks were replaced by rexin covered seats and berths. And with time the diesel locomotives were replaced by electricity run engines that increased the speed of the trains further and the punctuality level of the trains enhanced further. Railway journey became all weather comfortable and pleasant by the introduction of 3rd Air Conditioned coaches that nearly became affordable for the common man. It not only provided Air Conditioning for all weather whether it is summers or winters but it even provided bedding and blankets so now for the passenger there was no need to carry holdalls and beddings. Earlier people used to think twice before undertaking a railway journey in extreme weather but now Air Conditioned coaches, particularly 3rd AC coaches, has made journey possible in any kind of weather as it is affordable for the common man too. This class is growing popular day by day as a result of which railway is introducing more and more of such coaches at least in the major trains. I personally feel that railway journey as better than even the air travel as planes are still beyond the reach of common man and it is nearly a torture to sit for a long period of 8 to 9 hours in a sitting posture in an aeroplane whereas in the sleeper class of Railways you can move around, lie down and sleep. Though there are sleeper buses also now on the major routes but I consider railway journey as better than air conditioned sleeper bus as it does not provide the facility of toilets to the passengers travelling by it.
Not only trains have improved on the level of punctuality and comfort but it has also made remarkable strides in the level of cleanliness at the stations also due to introduction of the latest cleaning machine and other gadgets. Even on board the railway staff are providing services like that of house keeping taking care of the comforts of the passengers by cleaning the trains at regular intervals by brooming, spraying mosquito repellents and other pest control. Gone are the days when flies, mosquitoes and even rodents used to be your co passengers in the coach and that too without paying the fare. The level of services even at the station has also improved with time by introduction of lifts and escalators at least at the major railway stations. Going from one platform to another to catch the train, using the overhead cross over bridge used to be an uphill task for the senior citizens and the feeble, weak and disabled people and even young children. I must acknowledge the development in luggage industry in making the journey of a passenger comfortable, convenient and pleasant by introducing stroller luggages that has reduced the dependence of passengers on coolies as these luggages can be wheeled easily for quite a long distance of even one kilometre.
Travelling that day by Vande Bharat I felt that certainly railways have traversed a long way from the days of steam engines to Vande Bharat that is the latest version of totally Air conditioned Chair Car with low floor steps nearly reaching at the level of the platform making it easy and convenient even for old and disabled passengers to board and get down from the train, its automatic sliding doors and the state of art vacuum bio toilets and push back comfortable seats with convertible folding table placed in front of each seat to take meals and even use it as writing table during the journey. It has also enhanced the safety of the passengers as once its doors are closed they cannot be opened and it is announced clearly and loudly that doors are being closed. This has reduced the accidents caused due to boarding or getting down from moving train. Though it is good that railways provides meals also to the passengers but its level needs to be improved a bit even in the meals of Vande-Bharat by making stringent supervision of the meals in order to improve its quality. Certainly the growth and development in Indian Railways in the last fifty years have brought out only these words from Indian passengers- Vande Indian Railways, Salute to all the people who have contributed in growth and development and Kudos Indian Railways.
No comments:
Post a Comment