Mysore Div of Rlys to harness IT for passenger benefit

Mysore Division of the South Western Railway has earned Rs 156.02 crore from passenger traffic in the present year, registering a 10.57 per cent growth over the last year.

Similarly, ticket checking earnings at Rs 2.65 crore have shown an increase of 10.23 per cent over last year. The revenue from commercial publicity stood at Rs 1.74 crore - an incremental growth of nearly 13 per cent.

The division carried 49.3 million passengers during the present fiscal, which is about 5 per cent over the previous year’s figures.

Despite the ban imposed by the Centre on movement of export quality ore, the main source of revenue, the division’s earnings for 2011-12 stood at Rs 518.26 crore - a marginal decline over last year, according to Anup Dayanand Sadhu, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager.

 

He said, the main focus of the division will be harnessing information technology (IT) for delivering faster and efficient internet-based enquiry and guidance systems and its integration to real-time against the backdrop of changing market demand and passenger expectations in the coming years.

Cleanliness and sanitation at Railway stations and on trains will continue to be monitored very closely so that the momentum is not lost, he said. Revealing that the Commercial Department of the Division had bagged the efficiency shield for 2011-12 in recognition of its continued thrust on providing improved amenities to passengers with focus on innovations, Sadhu said this was the 4th consecutive year that it had bagged the shield (beating Bangalore and Hubli Divisions), which is a record by itself.

“The division has to its credit many firsts like upgrade of retiring rooms at Mysore through a public-private partnership to enhance quality of service on the one hand and reduce the huge recurring cost on manpower and other overheads on the other.” the Commercial Manager said.

On-board audio-video infotainment system in important intercity trains, presenting quality entertainment programmes and dissemination of information through GPS/GPRS technology, an initiative entailing no expenditure to the Railways; provision of pure treated drinking water at passenger reservation centers, waiting rooms, main concourse; setting up of free emergency medical care centre through a hospital chain at Mysore for bonafide Railway passengers were some of the major achievements. Battery-operated buggies for physically challenged and senior citizens for inter-platform transfer, a heritage gallery and a model railroad layout showcasing the journey of Railways in recent times in Mysore, and a host of other schemes in passenger interface spheres are also among its achievements.

Comprehensive mechanised cleaning contracts put in place at major stations have greatly improved hygiene / sanitation levels and perceptible change has been widely appreciated. “Frequent cleanliness drives across the division involving NGOs has been the hallmark of the division resulting in significant improvement in sanitation at stations/on trains,” he said.

“Many divisions and zonal railways have taken these innovations of Mysore Division as a model for replicating them at stations in their jurisdiction,” Sadhu added.