‘Train captains’ to ensure seamless on-board services

The South Western Railway has introduced an integrated approach for delivery of services to passengers on long distance express and mail trains.

A release said the newly introduced concept of ‘train captain’ would integrate all service delivery system under which a team of on-board railway personnel or outsourced staff would be manned by a train captain.

It was implemented on Mysuru division with T.No.12781 Mysuru-Nizamuddin Swarnajayanthi Superfast weekly express, which left the city on July 6, becoming the first one to use this scheme.

Aparna Garg, Divisional Railway Manager, Mysuru, said that the senior most ticket-checking member on the train will be designated as train captain for coordinating with on-board staff of different departments such as mechanical, electrical, operations, security as also catering and on-board housekeeping services personnel.

This is expected to provide for seamless and complaint-free services during the entire course of the journey of the train. In addition to Swarna Jayanti express, two other long-distance trains originating at Mysuru, viz., Mysuru-Dadar Sharavathi weekly express and Ajmer-bound bi-weekly expresses will also have the services of train captain, she added.

Ms. Garg said the train captain with a distinct arm badge and a mobile phone with contact details of all on-board staff will be initiating action to fix the problems, as and when reported, effectively and swiftly.

The release said unlike in Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duranto trains, where train superintendents work on end-to-end basis, the train captain of trains starting at Mysuru will be handing over the charge to his counterpart at Hubballi, being the second leg of the journey.

Ms. Garg expressed confidence that the new concept would go a long way in enhancing customer satisfaction.