TRAVEL BOOKING [Indian railways]

 

TRAVEL BOOKING [Indian railways]

Well, any non-Indian may just wonder as to what prompts such a write- up. But, for non-Indians everything about India is a matter of curiosity. For them any liquid packed in a bottle is a ‘safe’ drink and presume that world over Industries are conscious of providing hygienic products to consumers. So, they buy any beverage in bottle and presume to have done the right thing in India. Our understanding is different! We carry tap water in old beverage bottles and are mentally assured of taking ‘safe‘water. What have these bottles to do with the topic – is a question lingering in reader minds. I am aware, but having embarked on ‘curiosity’ on a railway premises, it was a digression of comparing different minds.

Getting to the title back, it is necessary to recall how train tickets were booked till late 1980s and a little later as well. Ticket booking was a process of sorts in the sense, the commuter must know the route on which [s]he plans to travel; should know in which junction a ‘connecting’ train can be had for continuing the journey onward. Besides, the train number of each train / the availability of the train on that day when our train reaches the connecting junction should also be clear for our venture into train travel- booking. Unless these data were ascertained from authentically valid sources, long distance travel into Northern parts or for a northerner to Southern parts would be an ordeal compounded by language problem precluding scope for gathering information from other persons. All such data used to be furnished to the official in the ticket booking counter, so that [s]he can initiate appropriate steps. What –initiation of steps?

The traveler would file an application detailing the date of travel, travel route and break of journey if any, besides the class in which travel is proposed. The official would issue a card ticket for the initiating date of journey up to a certain point say Chennai Egmore; at the back of the ticket, all crux of travel  would be handwritten by him / her ; further the traveler would be advised to come after 3 days to confirm further details of onward journey for which the railways would send ‘wire’ up  and get reply. After 3 days, if confirmed, all further travel tickets for apt dates/ trains would be issued at the originating station. A minimum of 3 to 4 days of waiting was required for travel confirmation. Even more arduous, it was if we recall how travel data were maintained at booking stations. Yes, there used to be distinct ledger was each train whose number was prominently scribed on the outer cover. Once a ticket was booked, the clerk used to ‘register‘ the data on the proper page of the relevant ledger. People were a bit worried that the person should use the proper ledger, lest should lose accommodation in the intended train.   Even as the man used to open the ledger, doubting Thomases like me, managed to  peep in to see the train number the proper page for date etc; without fail the clerk would be irritated and he would take revenge by asking us to tender the exact amount like Rs 163. Ps 45 and collect the ticket thereafter. What to do? We can ill afford to forego reservation because of someone’s casual attitude. Somehow fetch the amount in appropriate denomination and gather the ticket. We cannot ask him ‘Sir, have you booked the ticket for proper train and date?’ So, even if we should fetch correct amount, better be sure that the ledger [train], the date etc are what we requested for. From such a ‘documented’ registry of ticket information, we have come a long way into the comforts of ‘computer booking’, which right way makes a Pan India registration in no time. No such delays like sending ‘wire ‘or wire pulling  to buy travel ticket for trains. Kudos  to the authorities of Indian Railways, who managed to train all their ticket booking personnel to the processes of computer operation. By any stretch of imagination it was no mean task, because, for long, they had all been used to write the data and register them on paper and practically had no formal familiarity with the functional requirements of computing. The staff also deserve our honest appreciation, since switching from easy tradition to ‘unknown modus operandi’ like handling a computer so as to quickly book tickets especially for vacation travelers who would otherwise may lose chance of travel by several days. The magnitude of the problem can be perceived, only if we realize that within minutes of opening, tickets get exhausted –as many commuters from across India may all be targeting a specific train and date. By and large, India and Indians catch up with any modernity despite poor opportunities / low economic conditions interfering with learning advanced techniques. All said and done, train travel suits our country men the most by being the most competitive and comprehensive to travel across the country.

Prof. K. Raman