If you are a common middle-class man in India, what is the first mode of transport that comes in your mind if you have to travel a fair bit of distance?(let us assume a distance of about 500 km, less or more). Yes, it’s Railways. India has one of the world’s largest railway networks comprising 92,081 km of track over a route of 66,867 km (estimated in dec 2015). Let’s have a look at the 9 new travel updates in IR which will take effect from 1st July 2017.

Travel updates #1 50% refund policy

Effective from 1st july, if you cancel a confirm tatkal ticket, you will get back 50% of the money you paid at the time of booking. (Earlier no money was refunded on a confirm tatkal ticket).

2. Change in timings of booking “tatkal ticket”

From 1st july 17, the timings to book a tatkal ticket for an AC coach will be 10-12am and that for a sleeper coach will be 11am-12pm.

3. Paperless ticketing

Indian railways have come up with the introduction of “paperless ticketing” in the latest rail budget. Now you will get your ticket through SMS if you are booking a “window ticket”(tickets which you book at the reservation counters). This process will primarily start for the trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi.

4. Tickets in different languages

Now you will be able to get railway tickets all written in your preferred language. Till now, tickets were only provided in two languages i.e. English & Hindi. But recently, railways have updated their official website through which people will be able to book tickets in different languages.

5. Increase in the no. of coaches

One of the best travel updates includes introduction of more number of coaches in the luxury trains i.e. Rajdhani and Shatabdi, to reduce the amount of rush in “On-season” as well as “Off-season”.

6. More no. of “Suvidha” trains

Passengers always face this problem of not getting reservations in the holiday seasons. To counter this, railways have decided to run more number of “Suvidha” trains. Also, there’s a plan to run duplicate trains on the verge of the original trains in the “On seasons”.

7. End of “Premium trains”

You heard that right! These new travel updates include the end of “Premium trains” by 1st July 17. Increased no. of “Suvidha trains” would take its place.

8. “Wake up call destination”

There’s no need to worry if you are travelling and your destination timing is at late night. The only thing you have to do is you to get “wake-up call destination facility” activated on your PNR Number. You will get wake up call before your destination arrives.

9. Revised cancellation charges

From 1st July if you cancel a ticket, the following charges per person will be applicable for the respective classes.  

1. 2AC- Rs.100 

2. 3AC- Rs. 90

3. Sleeper class- Rs. 60.

Nearly 20 million people in India travel through trains daily, and total distance covered by trains in India on a daily basis is 30 lakh kms (10 times the distance to the moon). So these travel updates are worth sharing.

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