LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

TERM PAPER INT-304

RAILWAY RESERVATION SYSTEM

Submitted to: Mr. Amandeep Submitted by: SURENDRA MCA 2ndsem *roll no D3804B51 *Regd. no 10806601

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have the admiration to express our gratitude to our Prof. Mr. Amandeep for their timely help, support encouragement, valuable comments, suggestions and many innovative ideas in carrying out this project. It is great for me to gain out of their experience. I also owe overwhelming debt to my classmates for their constant encouragement and support throughout the execution of this project. Above all, consider it a blessing of the Almighty God that i have been able to complete this project. His contribution towards every aspect of ours throughout our life would always be the supreme and unmatched.

SURENDRA SINGH

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..4 Indian Railway History7 Indian Railways Reservation System...9 a. How to Make an Indian Railway Reservation b. Things to Remember for Seat Reservation or Ticket Booking c. Tips d. What you need e. RAILWAY RESERVATION / CANCELLATION REQUISITION FORM Reservation Record Based Ticketing 15 System Development Life Cycle19 Modernization of passenger reservation system.24 Indian Railway Online Booking.25 Indian Railway Enquiry.....27 Railway ticket reservation service through mobile phones29 Indian Trains..32

Data flow diagram.34 References 43

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INTRODUCTION
Indian Railway is the worlds second largest railway system. If going by figures it covers, 6853 stations and 63028 kilometers of track distance, carrying a load of 37840 passengers and around 500 tons of freight annually. Since the advent of train journeys in 1853 when the first passenger train was started, Indian Railways has always been reinventing and innovating itself. From the days of steam engines to electric express trains, it has come a long way. While the make and comfort that the Indian Railways offer has obviously improved with the boost in technology, the truly revolutionary concept of the Indian Railways has been the introduction of the online railways reservation system. A highly risky venture considering the literacy rate of the country, let alone internet literacy rate, it has been a brave attempt at modernization of a government run public transport system.

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While train tickets could always be booked from the large number of railway reservation counters of the Indian Railways, the attempt to offer the service online and to make it a smoother and convenient process for travellers has definitely been a successful one. Owing to the online railways reservation system, train tickets can be booked without the hassle of standing in queues, jostling with people or frantically searching for the right train as per timings and fare variations in different classes of train tickets. All the relevant information, including the number of trains from one destination to the other, available categories of coach classes, availability of train tickets for a particular class and the fare for each class, is just a few clicks away. What makes it even more convenient is the mode of payment. While earlier the online railways reservation process accepted only credit cards as mode of payment during booking of train tickets online, now other payment options like direct transfer and debit card can also be used to pay for train tickets on the online railways reservation system. Keeping in sync with the travellers convenience, train tickets booked through the online railways reservation system are available in the form of e-ticket (email tickets) or i-ticket (paper ticket). While the e-ticket, booked through the online railways reservation facility of the Indian Railways, is instantly delivered to the passenger through e-mail, an i-ticket is sent via regular mail, and takes 2-3 days to be delivered. Besides the convenience of booking train tickets, the online railways reservation system also offers information about other processes of the Indian Railways that are linked with online bookings.

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All essential information about the online railways reservation system and process is readily available including details of cancellation and concession policies. With this huge magnitude our railway system faced a problem of a complete and fast reservation system, which has been started as PRS (Passenger reservation system) in 1985 and was formed around the objective of providing reserved reservation to the train travelers. Even after a lot of pilots done for this system it fell short of the expectations as it was not automated and hence efficient. Due to the efforts put in this direction now reserved ticketing for anywhere in India is possible through a network of booking terminals and Interactive Voice response systems on telephone, or touch screens or passenger operated enquiry terminals.

Now one can easily plan the journey comfortably as the process is efficient and fast with being easy to access. Reservations can be made through the Indian railways site or at the ample reservation centers all over the country. Also now there are authorized agencies which provide reservation facility on behalf of India railways and without waiting in long line one can easily book a ticket. The booking is done through an E-Ticket issue which have a PNR number of which one has to take a print and just have to show at the station. It not only reservation but cancellation can also be done through this system at ease and one can use a credit card to complete the process.
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This being a big step in terms of improvement in the railway system it is widely accepted across the country.

In History

dian Railway

The novel plan for the introduction of a rail system, transformed the whole history of India. This innovative plan was first proposed in 1832; however no auxiliary actions were taken for over a decade. In the year 1844, private entrepreneurs were allowed to launch a rail system by Lord Harding, who was the Governor-General of India. By the year 1845, two companies were formed and the East India Company was requested to support them in the matter. The credit from the UK investors led to the hasty construction of a rail system over the next few years. On 22nd Dec' 1851, the first train came on the track to carry the construction material at Roorkee in India. With a passage of one and a half years, the first passenger train service was introduced between Bori
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Bunder, Bombay and Thana on the providential date 16th Apr' 1853. This rail track covered a distance of 34 kms (21 miles). Ever since its origin, the rail service in India never turned back. The British Government approached private investors and persuaded them to join the race with a system that would promise an annual return of 5% during the early years of operation. Once finished, the company would be transferred under the Government ownership, yet the operational control will be enjoyed by the original company. In 1880, the rail network acquired a route mileage of about 14,500 km (9,000 miles), mostly working through Bombay, Madras and Calcutta (three major port cities). By 1895, India had started manufacturing its own locomotives. In no time, different kingdoms assembled their independent rail systems and the network extended to the regions including Assam, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. In 1901, a Railway Board was formed though the administrative power was reserved for the Viceroy, Lord Curzon. The Railway Board worked under the guidance of the Deptt of Commerce and Industry. It was comprised of three members - a Chairman, a Railway Manager and an Agent respectively. For the very first time in its history, the Railways instigated to draw a neat profit. In 1907, most of the rail companies were came under the government control. Subsequently, the first electric locomotive emerged in the next year. During the First World War, the railways were exclusively used by the British. In view of the War, the condition of railways became miserable. In 1920, the Government captured the administration of the Railways and the linkage between the funding of the Railways and other governmental revenues was detached. With the Second World War, the railways got incapacitated since the trains were diverted to the Middle East. On the occasion of India's Independence in 1947, the maximum share of the railways went under the terrain of Pakistan. On the whole, 42 independent railway systems with thirty-two lines were merged in a single unit and were acknowledged as Indian Railways. The existing rail networks were forfeited for zones in 1951 and 6 zones were formed in 1952. With 1985, the diesel and electric locomotives took the place of steam locomotives. In 1995, the whole railway reservation system was rationalized with computerization.
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Indian Railways Reservation

Indian Railways has made the process of seat reservation much simpler than ever before. Throughout the length and breadth of the country, there are numerous counters where one can easily book the tickets. The metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, have many counters at different centers for the convenience of users. Most of the manual reservation centers have been changed into computerized reservation centers, which provide ticket booking facilities from any station to any destination. These reservation centers work between 08:00 hrs IST to 20:00 hrs IST, apart from Sundays. On Sundays, they operate till 14:00 hrs IST. Most of the routes are of the Indian Railways are much in demand and remain crowded most of the times. Due to this, people are recommended to get their bookings done in advance. IR has provided the facility of advanced reservation, which is made open 60 days before the actual date of journey. Sometimes, the public can face
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long queues and obtain wait listed ticket in such cases

too.

Advance Reservation is also made for people, who want to set out on sightseeing trip or pilgrimage trips. The confirmed reservations guarantee that one is formally allowed to enter and travel by the train in the allotted seat numbers. In a single ticket, reservations are permitted for a maximum of 6 passengers with a condition that all of them are heading for the same destination. Some authorized travel agencies are allowable to issue tickets. From 2001, Senior citizens have got the authorization to get 30% reduction on their reserved tickets. Advent of computerization system has also made it possible for passengers to book their ticket online. This system has also allowed checking whether the waitlisted ticket is confirmed or not. One can also check whether the fares have been changed or not and can look for the latest train timings. Apart from the ordinary reservation, 'Tatkal' is an emergency reservation scheme that is discussed in another article. IR also allows break journeys provided it is not in excess of eight journeys and completed within the validity period.

Things to Remember for Seat Reservation or Ticket Booking:

Reservations can be done through any Indian Railway Reservation counter. One can also opt for online booking from anywhere. In case, the ticket has the both coach and berth number, it is regarded as "confirmed". In case, AS RAC is written on the ticket, it shows that one can enter the coach, but will be granted only sitting. In case, the ticket is waitlisted, one cannot enter the reserved coaches. Reservations can be cancelled even after the departure of train. In case of confirmed reservation, one would receive a refund of 50% of what has been paid. Regarding a waitlisted ticket, one would receive the whole amount on cancellation in advance. Reservations made for sight-seeing trips or pilgrimages are permissible in all classes with a condition that the journey starts and ends at the same station.
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How to Make an Indian Railway Reservation

Here's How:

1. Find the name and number of the train you want to travel on by going to the Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Inquiry website. Click on "Train/Fare Accommodation" under "Services You Can Use". An on-line Indian Railways Trains at a Glance timetable is also available to assist you, although it requires quite a bit of navigating!.
2. Enter the details of the station you want to depart from and the

station you want to travel to, your journey date, and class of accommodation that you want to travel by (hint: select all classes to keep your options open as some classes book up more quickly than others). 3. If there are no trains running directly between the stations you've selected, youll get an error message and will need to go back and
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try some different station names. Otherwise, youll be presented with a list of trains. Select the desired train and class you wish to travel by (and quota if relevant), and check the availability of beds. You can also check the train fare and route at this point. 4. If there are no beds available on your particular train, the availability will show as Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC). You can still book a ticket and youll be given a seat on the train, but not necessarily a bed unless there are enough cancellations. If the train is fully occupied, availability will be shown as Waitlist (WL). If you book a ticket in the waitlist queue, you wont be allowed to board the train unless there are enough cancellations for a seat or bed to become available. 5. Once you've found a suitable train to travel on, make note of its name and number.
6. If you're booking over the counter, print out the reservation

form. Complete the form and take it to a reservation office. Alternatively, you can obtain a reservation form at the office and complete it there. Try to go to one of the facilities for international tourists (click on the yellow "Tourist Bureau" menu near the top of the screen) as these places are much more efficient and customer friendly. Be aware that you must pay with US dollars, UK pounds, Euros, or Indian rupees and an Encashment Certificate if purchasing a ticket there.
7. If you're booking on line go to the IRCTC Online Passenger

Reservation Site and register. Log in and then enter the station details of your travel, date of travel, and class of travel. Select eticket (electronic ticket) and click on "Find Trains". Select your train from the list that appears at the bottom of the page and click on "Book Ticket". Complete the electronic reservation form, including the Photo ID (passport) details of one of the passengers, and click on "Go". Youll be shown the details of your booking and you should review these.

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8. If your details look fine, click on "Make Payment". Choose the bank that you want to use to process your payment. For international credit cards, select AXIS. Otherwise, if youre using an AMEX card, select American Express. Enter and submit your card details. Your transaction will be processed and youll be provided with a booking confirmation. Print this out and carry it with you when you travel.
9. All booking, made both over the counter and on line, are assigned

a 10 digit PNR number. If youre in the RAC or WL queue, you can check the status of your booking on the Indian Railways website by clicking on "PNR inquiry", then entering your number and clicking on the "Get PNR status" button.

Tips:
1. Bookings should be made as far in advance as possible (up to 90

days before departure), especially during the busiest travelling times from November to March. Otherwise, youll need to be prepared to be flexible about your travel dates and times, and class of accommodation. 2. It's recommended that you book your tickets online to avoid the often maddening Indian bureaucracy and disorderly queues. However, the Internet reservation website can be slow and temperamental. If you happen to get an error message (such as "service unavailable"), try refreshing your browser or go back to the start and re-enter your transaction. Patience is the key here.
3. Sometimes the station name doesnt reflect the place name (for

example, the main railway station in Kolkata/Calcutta is called Howrah), so it pays to do a little research. You can do this by using the Indian Railways Trains at a Glance timetable.
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4. Indian railway operates a number of quota schemes. Last minute

bookings are allowed through a "Tatkal" quota on some of the most popular trains, whereby beds are released for reservation five days in advance. Foreign tourists can avail of a special tourist quota, which can also help in getting a bed during peak times. The availability of both quotas can be checked when you check the availability of your desired train on the Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Inquiry website. Unfortunately, the website's capability for bookings using these quotas is limited so it's best to make them over the counter. 5. Cancellations happen often, particularly in the 24 hours up to departure. If youre waitlisted, youll have the best chance of getting a bed in sleeper class as the majority of beds (and therefore cancellations) are in this class.

What You Need:

Details of train name & number, boarding & departure points, & class of travel.

Passport. Credit card (for internet bookings). Reservation form

RAILWAY RESERVATION / CANCELLATION REQUISITION FORM

If you are a Medical Practitioner Please tick ( ) in Box Dr. (You could be of help in an emergency) If you want Sr. Citizen concession, please write Yes/No in box (if yes, please carry a proof of age during the journey to avoid inconvenience of penal charging under extant Railway Rules) Do you want to be upgraded without any extra charge? Write Yes/No in the box. (If this option is not

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exercised, full fare paying passengers may be upgraded automatically)

Train No & Name: Class: Station From: Boarding At: S.No. Name in Block Letters (not more than 15 chars)

Date of Journey: No.of Berth / Seat: Station To: Reservation Upto: Sex Age Concession (M/F) / Travel Authority No.

Choice if any

Lower / Upper Berth Veg / Non-veg Meal for Rajdhani / Shatabdi Express only CHILDREN BELOW 5 YEARS (FOR WHOM TICKET IS NOT TO BE ISSUED) S.No. Name in Block Letters Sex Age

ONWARD / RETURN JOURNEY DETAILS Train No & Name ____________________________________ Date ______________________________ Class ________________ Station From _______________________ To ___________________________ Name of Applicant ______________________________________________________________________ Full Address ___________________________________________________________________________ Telephone No: ___________________________Date ______________________ Time _______________ Signature of the Applicant FOR OFFICE USE ONLY S.No. of Requisition__________________________ PNR No.____________________________________ Berth/Seat No.______________________________ Amount Collected ____________________________ Signature of Reservation Clerk Note: 1. Maximum permissible passengers are 6 per requisition. 2. One person can give one requisition form at a time. 3. Please check your ticket and balance amount before leaving the window. 4. Forms not properly filled or in illegible forms shall not be entertained. 5. Choice is subject to availability.

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Reservation Record Based Ticketing

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process for processing travel transactions without tickets. The process includes generating an electronic reservation record for a traveler that includes a reservation for travel along a travel segment and modifying the electronic reservation record to include a virtual ticket value that is unassociated with an electronic or physical ticket. The process also includes digitally transmitting the electronic reservation record having the virtual ticket value to a remote computing system that uses the electronic reservation record as exclusive evidence that the reservation has been confirmed for the traveler by a travel provider. For the process, the use of the electronic reservation record is exclusive of the presence or absence of any electronic or physical tickets.

Claims:

1. A computer-implemented process for processing travel transactions without tickets, comprising :generating an electronic reservation record for a traveler that includes a reservation for travel along a travel segment;modifying the electronic reservation record to include a virtual ticket value that is unassociated with an electronic or physical ticket;digitally transmitting the electronic reservation record having the virtual ticket value to a remote computing system that uses the electronic reservation record as exclusive evidence that the reservation has been confirmed for the traveler by a travel provider, wherein the use of the electronic reservation record is exclusive of the presence or absence of any electronic or physical tickets.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the electronic reservation record is generated by a system selected from a group consisting of an airline reservation system, a cruise ship reservation system, a passenger rail reservation system, a tour reservation system.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein a travel agency system generates the electronic reservation record.

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4. The process of claim 2, wherein the travel agency system requests the virtual ticket value associated with the travel segment from a travel provider providing the travel along the travel segment.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein the travel agency requests the virtual ticket value associated with the travel segment from a global distribution system (GDS).

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the remote system is a clearinghouse that uses the electronic reservation record as evidence that the reservation has been confirmed and initiates a settlement process for the travel provider that fulfilled the travel along the travel segment.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the travel provider transmits to the remote system a settlement request that includes the electronic reservation record as the exclusive evidence that the travel provider has confirmed the reserved travel for the traveler.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the electronic reservation record includes a second travel segment that is associated with an electronic ticket value that identifies a particular electronic ticket.

9. The process of claim 8, further comprising transmitting information associated with the particular electronic ticket along with the electronic reservation record as evidence that the second travel segment has been confirmed.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the remote system uses the virtual ticket value in a substantially similar manner as the remote system uses electronic ticket values and physical ticket values in accounting and transaction records.

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11. A computer-implemented process of digitally processing travel changes between travel providers, the process comprising : digitally modifying an electronic passenger name record (PNR) with travel information that has changed, the electronic PNR comprising a requested travel itinerary and a virtual ticket value associated with a first segment of travel; anddigitally transmitting the electronic PNR having the virtual ticket value from a first travel provider system to a second travel provider for use in setting the travel itinerary and for providing exclusive evidence of a commitment to compensate the second travel provider for providing the first segment of travel to a passenger associated with the electronic PNR.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein modifying the electronic PNR with changed travel information comprises cancelling an earlier reserved travel segment serviced by the first travel provider.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein modifying the electronic PNR with changed travel information further comprises adding the first travel segment so that the first travel segment is serviced by the second travel provider.

14. The process of claim 11, wherein the commitment to compensate is between the first and second travel providers.

15. The process of claim 11, wherein the commitment to compensate is between the passenger and the second travel provider.

16. The process of claim 11, wherein the commitment to compensate is between a travel agency and the second travel provider.

17. The process of claim 11, wherein the commitment to compensate is between a clearinghouse and the second travel provider.

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18. The process of claim 11, wherein the first segment of travel is not associated with an electronic or physical ticket.

19. A system for processing ticketless travel transactions comprising:a travel agency system to generate an electronic travel reservation record having a travel segment associated with a virtual ticket value but unassociated with an electronic or physical ticket;a travel provider system to receive the electronic travel reservation record having the virtual ticket value and to provide travel for a passenger along the travel segment without receiving any electronic or physical tickets associated with the travel segment; anda clearinghouse system to receive the virtual ticket value from the travel provider as exclusive evidence that the travel provider has committed to provide the travel along the travel segment.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a global distribution system (GDS) to receive digital travel schedules from the travel provider system that indicated travel segments that are associated with virtual ticket values.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the travel agency system requests the travel segments associated with virtual ticket values from the GDS.

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Modernization of passenger reservation system: Indian Railways' dilemma

There i discusses the challenges being faced by the technology managers at Indian Railways (IR) in the current scenario of a resurgent national economy coupled with increasing customer expectations. In the face of growing competition from road and low-cost airlines, to retain its customers, IR has responded by changing its business rules. The Railway Ministry expects a rapid response from Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to incorporate all these changes in the passenger reservation system (PRS). The old PRS, which is time-tested and reliable, and has been serving the customers' needs for nearly two decades, is now proving to be relatively inflexible to match the rapidly changing business requirements. Although the current scenario of a constant need to change the programming logic of PRS has been making maintenance tougher for CRIS officials, they have realized that PRS is a time-tested, proven, and reliable technology. Though they would be happy to replace the old PRS with a new state-of-art system that would provide them greater maintenance flexibility, the repercussions associated with possible failure of the new system are far too serious. The case exhibits the current dilemma being faced by the head of CRIS, the umbrella agency for information technology (IT) implementation in IR: whether IR should continue using the old PRS technology with its inherent shortcomings, or should it take the risk and go in for a wholesale replacement with a new state-of-art technology which would provide greater maintenance flexibility?

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Indian Railway Online Booking

Indian Railway is becoming technologically advanced and the fact that people can book their tickets online confirms the statement. The people who know how to access internet on computers, can easily get reservation done on the internet itself. Indian Railway Online Booking has certainly changed the system of reservation in India. The best thing about this service is that one can get reservation done, sitting at home before the computer.

One can book his/ her tickets at IRCTC's online reservation site (www.irctc.co.in). Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is a subsidiary or the marketing division of Indian Railways. IRCTC handles the program of online ticket booking. On 3rd August 2002, the system of online reservation was launched in collaboration with the Centre for Railway Information Systems. Earlier, people used to stand in long queues before the counters at the reservation centers, but online ticket booking has made things easier to a great extent.

Though the queues at reservation counters are still lengthy, yet they are in a better condition than before. Those people, who don't have internet connection at home, can go to cyber cafes for the booking. In case the user has a bank account in the banks listed on the page, then just by debiting the bank account for the amount, one can also make the payment for the ticket. Not only this, Indian railway online ticket reservation can also be made by using credit cards.
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State Bank of India (SBI) makes a railway card, which is useful in online booking of tickets. In the vein of SBI, Federal Bank has also joined IRCTC to facilitate customers in online reservation by means of Fed Net principle. One can make reservations online by simply debiting the Federal Bank account from anywhere in India or abroad. Another advantage for customers of Federal Bank is their tickets are delivered without any charge.

Indian Railways Online Ticket Booking is also of immense help to the people who don't have much time. At the time of online reservation, one can see two types of tickets namely I-tickets and E-tickets that are offered. E-tickets are the electronic tickets offered by the Indian Railway. Once a confirmed ticket appears on the screen, one can take a printout of the ticket. For heading towards journey, one is required to take the e-ticket along with an appropriate identity card.

I-tickets are actually Indian railway tickets that are required to be booked some days prior to the actual date of journey. These tickets can be availed after filling in the required data. I-tickets are sent to the address provided in the form. To avail this service, one has to pay a small fee including the courier charges. This service has made the system easier and people can get tickets at their doorsteps without any hassles.

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Indian Railway Enquiry

Indian Railways is working continuously to provide best services to the rail users in India. Earlier, reservation enquiries could only be made through the reservation counters spread across the country. As soon as computers arrived on the prospect, slowly and steadily the things became quite easier than before yet one was required to go at the counter to enquire about the reservation. The process got easier because earlier, everything used to be done manually.

In the present date, the entire reservation system has been computerized in India, except for a few remote areas. With the advent of internet, Indian Railways system has become hi-tech. Now people can book as well as enquire about reservation sitting at their home in front of computer. Indian Railways (www.trainenquiry.com) along with its subsidiary IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation) is offering some of the best services to the commuters in India.

IRCTC launched its website (www.irctc.co.in) entailing all general and useful information as regards Rail service in India. Whether it is related to booking tickets, reservation enquiry, internet tickets (i-tickets), electronic tickets (e28 | P a g e

tickets) or cancellation of tickets, IRCTC is ready to serve all information moreover without any setback. The people, who don't know how to use internet, can also rely on phone services provided by MTNL and BSNL.

Soon, the mobile companies would also start services to offer instant access to rail reservation and ticket booking. The SMS facility has already been started by Indian Railways to notify people about the reservation status. Recently, Indian Railways has commenced a single window facilitation centre to provide a range of services through a common telephone no. 139 and call made to this number would be treated as a local call throughout India.

This service would deal with all queries relating to arrival/departure of trains, PNR status and accommodation availability. Besides the basic services, this helpline would also work shortly to serve value added services and premium services including reservation, car rentals, booking tourism products and hotel booking. All these services on consolidation would give an impeccable enquiry system to the Rail Way of India.

Hon'ble Railway Minister launches railway ticket reservation service through mobile phones

The Indian Railway Catering And Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is a public sector company set up and fully owned by the Ministry of

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Railways. This company has been formed to function as an extended arm of the Indian Railways to upgrade, professionalise and manage the catering and hospitality services at stations, on trains and other locations, promote domestic and international tourism, develop budget hotels, implement global reservation systems and manufacture / distribute packaged drinking water "RailNeer".

Mobile rail ticketing services from IRCTC

The IRCTC's Internet Ticketing System was inaugurated on August 3, 2002. The system enables a passenger to make reservations on the Indian Railways' Passenger Reservation Systems (PRS) through ' the internet at the website www.irctc.co.in By introducing this system IRCTC enabled the PRS to go to the customer instead of the customer coming to the PRS. The Internet Ticketing System has grown in popularity over the
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last two years and from a sale of 3,343 tickets in August 2002 it reached a peak level of sale of 1,04,363 tickets in April 2004. Payment for internet booking is electronic and customers can use either credit cards (Master / Visa / Diners Club / Amex) or internet banking to directly debit their accounts and make payments to IRCTC. IRCTC has integrated with 13 banks for direct debit facilities including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank,. Corporation Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Citi Bank etc., Tickets are delivered to customers at addresses of their choice in 120 cities. With a view to broad base the access to a larger customer base, IRCTC sought to implement other means of providing access - means that would be more easily available to customers. With the mobile revolution in India large numbers of potential customers, who may not have ready access to Internet, have access to mobile phones.

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Associated with Investors

IRCTC, therefore, developed a system whereby mobile service operators could access IRCTC's rail reservation services. This was done through the development of "Web Services", a technical standard that enables access to services hosted on the web by multiple modes. These "Web Services" have been offered to all mobile phone operators as a pilot project in the Delhi NCR region to be later extended to other cities in the country. Two operators viz. M/s Reliance Infocom and M/s Hutch have developed applications that will enable their customers to interact with the IRCTC systems through their mobile phones to book tickets. Other operators are working on developing similar applications. Applications that are being launched are
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 Voice Based Booking service, offered by Hutch and provided through their '123' value added service, wherein the booking is done using speech based inputs from the user Java based Booking service offered by Reliance and provided through their 'R' World service

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Indian Trains
India is a vast country, where ample means of transport are essential to travel through its expanse. In the present day, India is coming up with latest techniques, gizmos and gadgets to beat the tough competition of the times. The Railways or trains are an important means of transport that is used by people in India. Whether it is luxury, express, superfast, deluxe or standard train, Indian Railways has each and every variant to mention. The standard trains are widespread throughout the country. Apart from them, there are luxury trains like Palace on wheels, Heritage on wheels and Deccan Odyssey that peep into the royal past of India. Besides luxury trains, there are express and superfast trains like Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express, which actually offer comfort on board to its passengers. Nilgiri Mountain Railway as well as Darjeeling Himalayan Railway boasts of the World Heritage Sites. Click on the following links to know more about the popular and notable trains of India.

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Darjeeling

Toy

Train

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is an exponent train by the Indian Railways. The very appearance of the train, replenishes the idea of "Toy Train". Certainly, the cute-little train is well-known as the "Darjeeling Toy Train". Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) is an acclaimed train that runs in the Nilgiri Hills of India. This toy train links the city of Mettupalayam with the renowned hill station of Udagamandalam (Ooty) in Tamil Nadu. Deccan to boost tourism on the Konkan route, Deccan Odyssey's journey begins in Mumbai, Odyssey

The Deccan Odyssey is an opulent train that is made on the lines of renowned Palace on Wheels. Established

Fairy

Queen

The Fairy Queen is an eminent train that boasts of the world's oldest steam locomotive. In 1855, the royal Fairy Queen let out steam for the first time under the supervision of the erstwhile East Indian Railway. Himsagar Express

The Himsagar Express is no less than an alive achievement of the Indian Railways. The applause lies in the fact that it is the train running on the longest route of India. It runs between Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) in South India to Jammu Tawi Railway Station (Jammu & Kashmir) in the North.

Lifeline trains Palace of India, Lifeline Express is also on known as Jeevan Rekha

Express Express. Wheels

Lifeline Express is an exceptional train with a unique concept of hospital on wheels in India. One of the notable

The 'Palace on Wheels' is the most luxurious and lavish train of India. The very appearance tantalizes one to travel in the train at least for once. Palace on Wheels is a magnificent splendor that is reminiscent of the sumptuous Heritage on world Wheels

Heritage on Wheels is another esteemed possession of Indian Railways. Amongst the luxury trains of India, the train 'Heritage on Wheels' is an eternal part that was designed on the lines of renowned 'Palace on Wheels'. Rajdhani Express

Rajdhani Express is one amongst the fastest train services in India. This passenger train service connects New Delhi, the national capital city, with other considerable destinations particularly capitals of several states in India.

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Samjhauta

Express

The Samjhauta Express is a train that runs between India and Pakistan. The literal meaning of term 'Samjhauta' is 'compromise'. As the name suggests, the train is a mark of understanding between the two countries Shatabdi a superfast passenger train connecting the major cities, metro towns and business centers. of the world. Express

Shatabdi Express is the distinctive train service provided by the Indian Railways. In India, Shatabdi Express is

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REFRENCES www.indianrailways.com www.erail.in www.bharatrail.net www.indiantrains.org www.irctc.co.in www.startupdunia.com www.iloveindia.com www.startupduniya.com

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