TATKAL TROUBLES

TATKAL TROUBLES

The Indian Railways has cunningly increase fare by almost 50% by alloting close to half of its berths in Sleeper Classes to Tatkal quota.

Every day morning you find passengers waiting outside reservation counters as early as 5 am (some sleep at the door from night) for booking Tatkal tickets at open of reservation.

Tatkal tickets cannot be cancelled and you waste your entire money if your program changes last minute or still worse get caught in a traffic jam. No refund - entire money goes to kitty of the State.

Also, no senior citizenship concessions are allowed. Seniors who tend to plan for emergencies must shell out full fare + Tatkal charges.

Its funny to see Waiting List upto 40 / 50 on Tatkal tickets. Mostly railway clears these Tatkal Waitlist passengers at the cost of regular Waitlisted Passengers who book 2/3 months before.

Most of the Southern trains are waitlisted even 1/2 months before and more and more passengers resort to this black-marketed tickets, by none other than the Indian Railways.

Alternately, the Railways need to increase fare by 25% flat for Sleeper class / 3rd AC to avoid all this last minute travails.

ALL TRAINS LEAD TO CHENNAI:

ALL TRAINS LEAD TO CHENNAI:

The Southern Railways has named all trains from Southern districts to Chennai as "CHENNAI EXPRESS" thereby confusing passengers as well as hiding all Tamil names.

Train No. 6853 Cholan Express, 6713 Sethu Express, 6701 Boat Mail, 6875 Kamban Express , Meenatchi Express (madurai - tirupaty) are all named Chennai Express in return direction.

If you are at Thanjavur Junction at 10.00 pm you will have a Chennai Express every half an hour. You have to note the train no. and board properly or you are doomed.

When these officials can give Cheran, Pandian & Pallavan Express - why Cholan is left out? Probably , a new trend has set where you dont care about your culture or language.