S Rly gets a high score on maintenance
While the audit was carried out by IRCLASS Systems and Solutions Pvt Ltd., analysis of the passenger feedback survey was carried out by IPSOS Research Private Limited.
S Vishnu Sharmaa, INN/Chennai, @svs037
Points run high on train maintenance
Southern Railway’s chances of obtaining ‘Train Cleanliness’ shield during the forthcoming Railway Week Awards 2019 are bright, thanks to the high scores on train maintenance which it got in a recently held survey.
According to sources, Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) undertook the survey. Ministry of Railways is said to have entrusted it to conduct the Train Cleanliness Survey 2018 on 209 important trains of Indian Railways.
A three-part survey including process audit, direct observation and passenger feedback was designed in order to assess the cleanliness and sanitation conditions of the running trains.
While the audit was carried out by IRCLASS Systems and Solutions Pvt Ltd., analysis of the passenger feedback survey was carried out by IPSOS Research Private Limited.
The first part of the survey focused on cleanliness and sanitation process at the washing lines and terminals halts whereas direct observations included the parameters such as condition of toilets, seats and windows, doorways, gangways and Vestibules, condition of linen, pest management and waste management.
For passenger feedback, a total of 100 passengers feedback was collected from premium category and 60 from other than premium category trains. Analysis of the trains was carried out in two categories namely premium category including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duranto trains and other than premium category including Sampark Kranti, Intercity, Jan Shatabdi and other important mail and express trains.
While there were a total of 77 trains in the premium category, there were 132 trains in the other than premium category. A total of four trains in the premium category and 14 trains in other than premium category of Southern Railway were included in the above list of 209 trains.
Southern Railway has been ranked the first position out of all the 16 railway zones in other than premium category with a score of 736 out of a total of 1000.
In the premium category, Chennai Central – Mysuru Shatabdi of S Rlwy with a score of 906/1000 has been ranked third out of 26 in the country. Chennai Central – Coimbatore Shatabdi has been ranked ninth with a scope of 873 points against an all India average of 844.
Another premium train Chennai – Nizamuddin Duranto has got a score of 764 against all India average of 739. In other than premium category trains, two Inter-city trains of Southern Railway were selected out of a total of 20 inter-city trains over Indian Railways.
Both the trains namely KSR Bangaluru – Ernakulam and Chennai Central – Coimbatore have bagged first and second position of the total 20 trains, scoring 789 and 782 respectively against an all India average of 627.
On the Jan Shatabdi front, a total of four trains of Southern Railway were selected out of a total of 19 trains over Indian Railways.
In this, two trains of Southern Railway that is Trivandrum – Kozhikode and Chennai Central – Vijayawada bagged second and third position respectively scoring 766 and 738 against all India average of 613.
In other important mail/express trains category, seven trains of Southern Railway were selected out of a total of 73 trains over Indian Railways. Tirupati – Jammu Tawi has bagged first position with a score of 885 and Chennai Egmore – Mangalore Central has been ranked fourth with a score of 849.
Southern Railway has bagged overall ranking of second in other mail/express trains category scoring an average of 769 against an All India average of 684.