Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

New Delhi: The new measures introduced by the Indian Railways with regard to the Tatkal train tickets reservation has come as a major relief to the common man. People have welcomed the new steps taken by the railway.

Happy with the measures initiated by the Indian Railways on Tuesday, the passengers found it easier to get Tatkal tickets, which were being cornered by the touts.

"I think the people will get the benefit of the new system," said a passenger.

Another passenger, who succeeded in getting a Tatkal ticket with ease on the first day of the implementation of the new rules, said, "Of course it is very different, the system has changed."

However, a section of the passengers feels that this might not be long lasting, fearing that the whole exercise would be back to its original form in a day or two.

"It’s the first day, and policemen are there, therefore, the rules are being followed. After a couple of days, it will be back to the same as before," said one of the passengers.

Starting Tuesday, the Indian Railways introduced several measures to ensure Tatkal train tickets reached the common man.

Booking counters will now open at 10 am instead of 8, and a day before the journey from the originating station.

Also, travel agents including those of IRCTC will not be allowed to book Tatkal tickets between 10 am and noon from counters as well as on the Internet.

CCTVs are also being installed at the booking centres.

Notably, the tatkal revamp has come after the IBN network exposed how touts were cornering the tickets.

The Indian Railway has also put in place measures to make online Tatkal bookings easier. High capacity database servers have been installed. The Internet bandwidth has been increased from 344 mbps to 450 mbps.

Web service agents have been permitted to book only one Tatkal ticket per train per day on the internet only after 12 noon. Individual users can now book only two tickets between 10 am and 12 noon

An IT-Anti Fraud Squad has been created. A complaint cell has also been set up. One can email or call these numbers: agentcomplaint@irctc.co.in (011-23745962) or care@irctc.co.in (011-39340000).