Deplorable Changes in Rajdhani Trains

I am writing this piece from inside what is supposed to be the premium, number one train in the country. The deplorable standards of an asset that has showcases the Indian railways’ standards should worry the powers-that-be, but is anybody really interested?

"Don’t worry about packing any edibles, I’ll be well looked after in the Rajdhani Express; they cater for everything", was my parting words to my family. How wrong I was!

The moment I boarded the Bangalore bound Rajdhani from Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin station, the passengers were greeted by a stucco voice informing us that for some reason, soup, salad, sweet items, fruit juice et all had been removed from the menu, hence there was no point in even talking about it to the train staff. Beauraucracy at its very best! Little did I realize at that moment what that small announcement meant. Now, 20 hours later, I suffer its full impact as I sit waiting for refreshments that will never come, never mind the fact that I’ve paid for them in my ticket charges.

Specific places where there is a distinct reduction in standards are as below.

Thanks to some arbitrary decision by some babu who wants to obviously earn brownie points, the following items have been withdrawn from the menu of the train.

Soup with allied items like soupsticks, butter et all.

Frooti/ juice

Salad

Sonpapri (sweet item)

Chocolate éclairs

Only one sugar sachet in tea packet, where the provision is
supposed to be for two cups of tea

So what if thanks to this arbitrary decision, now there is nothing to eat between meals. As the Rajdhani does not stop at regular stations, hungry children can cry themselves hoarse, to no effect as even vendors are not allowed on this train.

‘Hot water’ served to prepare tea is barely warm, which, as revealed by the train staff, is due to reduction in number of hot water carriers from six to two. Perhaps related to this is also the reason for the ice cream being practically on the verge of melting when it is actually served.

Only a few of the toilets have toilet paper and western seat paper covers, the balance are left to fend for themselves.

Bedsheets are torn and worn out; blankets provided are in equally deplorable condition.

As a regular passenger on this so called ‘Premium train’ for which I am paying excess fare much more than for regular AC trains, I and my co-passengers are entitled to know why there is a reduction in standards and items provided, when there is no reduction in train fare either provided or even asked for. The observation is not mine alone, but of several co-passengers who are traveling with me. We might as well as save the money and buy the meals in a regular train – it’ll work out to be much cheaper.

As people who have paid good money for the services, we are entitled to know why is some babu who probably only travels by air himself the authority to try out brownie points experiments on the unwilling public who have paid for the services. This is a clear violation of the very essence of providing premium services at a higher rate, and makes a fit case to be challenged in the consumer court.

If this is the standard of services to be provided, you might as well as charge us regular fare and let us fend for ourselves. We will do very well without your interference, thank you.

Are you listening, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, or are you too busy garnering election votes?

To read my experience on Air India, see Air India Flight - For Better Or For Worse.