Railways rolls out 2 apps to make travelling hassle-free

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday launched two mobile applications — ‘Rail Madad’ to help customers with complaints and ‘Menu On Rails’ through which passengers can see meals on offer on-board trains.

Goyal said Rail Madad app is aimed at expediting and streamlining passenger grievance redressal while the ‘Menu on Rails’ app will allow passengers to check the list of meals and beverages served on all type of trains and their prices.

The ‘Rail Madad’ (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel) app allows passengers to lodge complaints through mobile app/web platform and enables them to check real-time feedback on the status of redressal of their complaints. Rail MADAD registers a complaint with minimum inputs and issues unique ID. It relays the complaint online to relevant officials for immediate action. The action taken on the complaint is then relayed to the passenger through SMS.

The app also displays various helpline numbers (e.g., Security, Child helpline etc) and provides direct calling facility for immediate assistance. “All modes of filing of complaints including offline and online modes are being integrated into a single platform,” Goyal addressing a press conference on the achievements of his ministry (Railway) in the past four years.

Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani and top officers of Railway Board and Coal Ministry. Goyal is also Minister for Coal. While ‘Menu on Rails’ app displays menu served on all type of trains. For Mail/Exp trains, food items are covered in 4 categories namely: Beverages, Breakfast, Meals and A-La-Carte. Rates (inclusive of taxes) for standard food items are given both for train as well as stations (Excluding Food Plazas and Fast Food Units).

A-La-Carte includes a list of 96 items under the categories of Breakfast, Light Meals, Combo Meals, Non Veg, Jain Food, Sweets, Diabetic foods etc. The app also displays the menu to be served in Rajdhani/ Shatabdi/ Duronto group of trains.

According to railways the data collected through ‘Rail Madad’ app will be analysed and would generate trends on various performance parameters like cleanliness, amenities etc thus making managerial decision more precise and effective. Listing the achievements of his ministry, Goyal said that there had been an increase of 59 per cent in the average pace of commissioning of new lines from 4.1 km per day between 2009 and 2014 to 6.53 km per day during 2014-2018.

“The bullet train project is on track. In this country there are always issues linked to any developmental project and new ideas. But we have to find solutions and move forward,” Goyal said.

Goyal also set aside the apprehensions that there are no plans to privatise the railways and that there were no proposals for such a move and it would not happen in the future as well. “Let me make it very clear that there are no plans to privatise railways, either now or ever,” he said.

The railways seeking foreign investment in areas such as technological upgradation and modernisation had raised concerns over the national transporter being handed over to private entities.

This concern was flagged by the railway unions which demanded more clarity from the ministry.

He addressed the regional media in 12 cities simultaneously through video-conferencing, also said that concerns over the government’s ambitious bullet train project would be soon resolved and that the project was on track.