ProUI

Tickets are not verified in many coaches; TTEs are unable to help passengers

Shortage of Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) is posing problems to the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad railway divisions. The Railways are losing revenue, TTEs are complaining of work overload, and commuters are being inconvenienced.Thiruvananthapuram division has a sanctioned strength of 598 TTEs, but only 485 are on the rolls, which is not enough to man the trains originating from the division. In Palakkad, there is a shortage of 61 TTEs as only 372 are on the rolls.Railway sources told The Hindu that Thiruvananthapuram division needed 635 TTEs and Palakkad 576, taking into account the increase in the number of mail and express trains sanctioned for the State.As per the railway norms before e-ticketing, one TTE has to man two sleeper class coaches.If air-conditioned coaches, one TTE has to man three. Often, manpower shortage forces TTEs to monitor more coaches. Many a time three to four coaches go unmanned, especially in trains commencing at night. “It is impossible for the TTEs to verify all tickets before passengers sleep. When passengers are asked to show the ticket for verification, they get angry. Most tickets go unverified,” says a TTE.

Now, 50 to 60 per cent are e-tickets and the TTEs have to check the identity card and the paper ticket as well as to find if the passenger is bonafide. A TTE needs at least 45 minutes to check the tickets and identity cards in a sleeper class coach.

TTEs say that due to the workload they are unable to provide assistance to passengers in case of an emergency and often cannot assign vacant berths to RAC passengers. Often commuters have to search for the TTE, especially at night, to get their ticket confirmed. Unverified tickets by the TTEs are submitted for cancellation after the journey, resulting in revenue loss to the Railways.

TTEs hope that the Railway Recruitment Board will fill the vacant posts. The last recruitment was in 2007.

Commuters submit unverified tickets for cancellation

Last recruitment to the posts was made in 2007

Tickets are not verified in many coaches; TTEs are unable to help passengers

Shortage of Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) is posing problems to the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad railway divisions. The Railways are losing revenue, TTEs are complaining of work overload, and commuters are being inconvenienced.Thiruvananthapuram division has a sanctioned strength of 598 TTEs, but only 485 are on the rolls, which is not enough to man the trains originating from the division. In Palakkad, there is a shortage of 61 TTEs as only 372 are on the rolls.Railway sources told The Hindu that Thiruvananthapuram division needed 635 TTEs and Palakkad 576, taking into account the increase in the number of mail and express trains sanctioned for the State.As per the railway norms before e-ticketing, one TTE has to man two sleeper class coaches.If air-conditioned coaches, one TTE has to man three. Often, manpower shortage forces TTEs to monitor more coaches. Many a time three to four coaches go unmanned, especially in trains commencing at night. “It is impossible for the TTEs to verify all tickets before passengers sleep. When passengers are asked to show the ticket for verification, they get angry. Most tickets go unverified,” says a TTE.

Now, 50 to 60 per cent are e-tickets and the TTEs have to check the identity card and the paper ticket as well as to find if the passenger is bonafide. A TTE needs at least 45 minutes to check the tickets and identity cards in a sleeper class coach.

TTEs say that due to the workload they are unable to provide assistance to passengers in case of an emergency and often cannot assign vacant berths to RAC passengers. Often commuters have to search for the TTE, especially at night, to get their ticket confirmed. Unverified tickets by the TTEs are submitted for cancellation after the journey, resulting in revenue loss to the Railways.

TTEs hope that the Railway Recruitment Board will fill the vacant posts. The last recruitment was in 2007.

Commuters submit unverified tickets for cancellation

Last recruitment to the posts was made in 2007

The mid-term pension adalat conducted by Palakkad Railway Division here on Friday settled 109 representations and disbursed Rs.1.18 lakh.

With the completion of survey for 15 km railway track from Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh, the work for acquisition of land for laying the tracks would be started this year, official sources said on Friday.Following the two-day District Magistrate level meeting here, the Deputy Collector of Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh, Nur Mohammad Majumder and West Tripura district Magistrate Kiran Gitte jointly announced that survey for the track was completed and the process for land acquisition would be started this year.

The two-day meeting concluded on Thursday.

The meeting decided that 373 border pillars which were partly or fully damaged would be repaired or constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD) of both the sides under the supervision of Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB).

Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the reduction of border crimes like cattle lifting, theft and dacoity and exchanged a list of criminals taking shelter in the two neighbouring countries and both agreed to initiate stringent legal actions against them.

West Tripura District Superintendent of Police, Bijoy Nag, who also took part in the meeting, said that a list of 24 Indian criminals hiding in Bangladesh was handed over to them while the Bangladesh side gave a similar list of twenty criminals sheltering in the Indian side.

“We are united to take appropriate legal action against the criminals”, said the Police Superintendent of Brahmanbaria, Mohammad Moniruzzaman.

The Bangladesh delegation expressed serious concern at the smuggling of contraband items like Ganja, cannabis and medicines like Phensidyle and Corex used in Bangladesh for addiction from the Indian side.

The Indian side assured them to contain the menace by increasing more surveillance on the border.

The mid-term pension adalat conducted by Palakkad Railway Division here on Friday settled 109 representations and disbursed Rs.1.18 lakh.

With the completion of survey for 15 km railway track from Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh, the work for acquisition of land for laying the tracks would be started this year, official sources said on Friday.Following the two-day District Magistrate level meeting here, the Deputy Collector of Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh, Nur Mohammad Majumder and West Tripura district Magistrate Kiran Gitte jointly announced that survey for the track was completed and the process for land acquisition would be started this year.

The two-day meeting concluded on Thursday.

The meeting decided that 373 border pillars which were partly or fully damaged would be repaired or constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD) of both the sides under the supervision of Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB).

Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the reduction of border crimes like cattle lifting, theft and dacoity and exchanged a list of criminals taking shelter in the two neighbouring countries and both agreed to initiate stringent legal actions against them.

West Tripura District Superintendent of Police, Bijoy Nag, who also took part in the meeting, said that a list of 24 Indian criminals hiding in Bangladesh was handed over to them while the Bangladesh side gave a similar list of twenty criminals sheltering in the Indian side.

“We are united to take appropriate legal action against the criminals”, said the Police Superintendent of Brahmanbaria, Mohammad Moniruzzaman.

The Bangladesh delegation expressed serious concern at the smuggling of contraband items like Ganja, cannabis and medicines like Phensidyle and Corex used in Bangladesh for addiction from the Indian side.

The Indian side assured them to contain the menace by increasing more surveillance on the border.

All steps will be taken to improve passenger amenities at the Thiruvalla railway station and upgrade it to a major station, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson P.J. Kurien has said.He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating a new railway reservation counter at Vennikkulam, near Thiruvalla, on Thursday.Mr. Kurien said he would take up the matter with the Union Railway Minister. Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agarwal inaugurated the ticket sales. Anto Antony, MP, presided over the function. Mathew T. Thomas, K. Sivadasan Nair, Raju Abraham, MLAs; Saji Chacko, district panchayat president; K. Jayavarma, Thiruvalla East Cooperative Bank president; Annapoornadevi, Koipram Block panchayat president; and G. Murukan, Akshaya Mission district coordinator, also spoke.

As engineering works related to the commissioning of double-line section between Valadi and Kallakudi Palanganatham was under way the following changes have been made in the train services from July 5 to 10.A statement from the Southern Railway states that the Tiruchi — Cuddalore Port Junction Passenger would be cancelled on both ways from July 5 to 10. The Tiruchi — Lalgui Passenger would be cancelled on July 6.The Madurai — Villupuram Passenger would be partially cancelled on both ways on July 10.The Madurai — Chennai Egmore Express would be diverted on both ways via Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur on July 10. The statement further says that alternative arrangements have been made for the passengers who have confirmed tickets in the above trains. — Special Correspondent

A writ petition was filed in the Kerala High Court on Thursday seeking a directive to Railways to take steps to prevent the unhygienic preparation, handling, and supply of food at railway stations and on board trains.The petition was filed by D.B. Binu, a High Court lawyer.He said it was observed during his trips that the food was prepared, stored, and supplied to travellers and the public in extremely unhygienic conditions both on trains and at eateries on platforms.He said the personnel who were engaged in preparation, handling, and supply of food for Railways did not have health cards and even proper uniforms, gloves, chef hats, nameplates, etc. Since the personnel did not wear nameplates, it was difficult to identify those supplying food.

He said the drinking water provided on the trains and platforms was contaminated and not purified as per specific hygiene standards.

nauthorised street-food vendors often boarded trains at different stations. The Railways were not taking any action against them.

As engineering works related to the commissioning of double-line section between Valadi and Kallakudi Palanganatham was under way the following changes have been made in the train services from July 5 to 10.A statement from the Southern Railway states that the Tiruchi — Cuddalore Port Junction Passenger would be cancelled on both ways from July 5 to 10. The Tiruchi — Lalgui Passenger would be cancelled on July 6.The Madurai — Villupuram Passenger would be partially cancelled on both ways on July 10.The Madurai — Chennai Egmore Express would be diverted on both ways via Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur on July 10. The statement further says that alternative arrangements have been made for the passengers who have confirmed tickets in the above trains. — Special Correspondent