I would like to share with all those who intend to travel by the Delhi Bangalore Rajdhani Express the deplorable state of the coaches and the cavalier attitude of the catering / housekeeping and maintenance staff employed by Airtel.
Date of Journey : 2nd January, 2009. Time and place of departure : 9.15 pm/ Hazrat Nizammudin
Complaints as detailed below
1) Bogies old and substandard with torn seats filled with cockroaches and occassional rats, substandard toilets, poor flooring and smell. Old and torn blankets , dirty sheets and towels gave us an inkling about what was in store.
2) Toilets not cleaned properly and there was usually a mess. A defiant attitude by the cleaning staff – this is what we will do, nothing more – use this if you want.
3) Substandard food. Ice cold food on the first day itself ie. 2nd January night, Improperly cooked food for lunch on 3rd January and missing items like curds, salads, pickles etc. A Complaint lodged by several passenges during the journey after lunch with the TC/ catering Manager / cleaning supervisor and entered into the complaint book resulted in better food at night, but no improvement in housekeeping
4) Failure of complete lights and electricals in all coaches as soon as the train left Delhi for several minutes – rectified after 30 mins. Reason given -heater in the pantry car was defective
5) AC controls ineffective resulting in heat build up in the afternoon and icy cold chill at night
6) Take it or leave it attitude by the staff – catering, cleaning etc
7) TC ineffective – and apologetic. Said possibly that old coaches were being used for South, while the Northern Rajdhani’s get all the latest coaches.
These coaches should be examined by Maintenance staff and rectified since there was severe vibration coming form B 7 coach at speeds around 100 kms or so.
We have paid a premium for travelling by Rajdhani Express and expect quality service like the ones provided on the Mumbai Delhi Rajdhani sector. Such substandard service / coaches for the premier train is not acceptable and the Railways need to drastically change their step mothertly attitude to the Delhi Bangalore Rajdhani express and replace with new bogies – otherwise change the name of the train – do not call it Rajdhani express.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Ranjit. I sincerely hope that the right authorities act on this.
Welcome aboard Ranjit and thanks for sharing your concern over the apathy of the authorities. I am confident that on the basis of your complaint, the concerned officials would endeavour to take the corrective measures.
Thanks for sharing. You have set my expectations at the right level.
Thanks Nandan, Ram and Arvind. We have been contacting various Railway authorities and on their advice, sending mails to the relevent department heads. A lot of fellow travellers were up in arms during that journey and it was a wonder that the agruements did not turn physical. We, the Indian consumers have been putting up with a lot of slipshod treatment and its high time that we got quality products and services.
Regards. Ranjit
Hi Ranjit
This is just the tip of iceberg. The Indians only have been our worst tormnentors for ages. I am an Indian too!!
Shockingly we always let ourselves be taken for granted and I must congratulate you for your initiative. Hope this would be an eye opener for those sleeping rats. And talking of trains, its lest said, better. Same is with flights too!! The waiters in Rajdhanis and SHatabdis would come with a salver covered with currency notes( Rs 500 and Rs 1000); I wonder whether people do have money to squander on these cheap geeks, why not give it to the needy ones. Or it could have been aploy to play with sentiments. Nevertheless, I never paid a single penny to them and as a result I have never been given a feedback form to fill out.
As for you, I guess there is a link on the http://www.indianrail.gov. in ( vox populi) or irctc website. But do not expect a reply from them.
You see brothers at work!!!
Cheers
Manu
I have registered a complaint with IRCTC. So far, the railways are keeping mum. It reminds one of an ostrich burying its head in the ground and hoping the problem will disappear on its own.
As you have rightly said, we deserve what we are getting because we have been putting up with slipshod products and services all these years. Its time the officials woke up.
Wow, Ranjit! You quite echo our experience of travelling in that(Chennai, Secunderaba/bangalore and Trivandrum) set of Rajdhani trains (rakes) all of which are taken over by Airtel for housekeeping services in the exchange of advt space on the entire facade of coaches and inside of them. But then you have not listed the biggest grouse one could have with this arrangement – it is perfectly acceptable as long as you paint the train red and leave the window pans clear. But someone in airtel’s media management had a better idea and they painted the window pans too almoast opaque.
Now that has got goats of many and last heard the contract of airtel is unde review and might go soon, thanks to ravs of people like us.
Just imagine, you are passing through one of the most spectacularly picturesque routes of india and you are barred from the window view! How can someone and so many people simultaneously be so unimaginative? But that has happened, so no further proof needed.
This is one of the very few times when I was dissatisfied with Airtel.
As far as the condition of coaches goes, what airtel have done is that they have fitted perfume injectors in the toliets, put red mats, but that is all they offer. Their sanitary staff says, that if you spill water on floor, it is not their job to clean it. Yes AC runs in very loose control loop. In fact it is uncontrolled.
Watch out for my post which covers our journey on two of the above three routes.
Well, our efforts seem to have struck the right chord . The Hidustan Times have carried out their own investigation and are carrying a three part series on the Railway passengers travails . The GREAT RAILWAY RIP – OFF is todays headlines and carries pics.
Lets hope that the Railways get their act right. If you look at the Delhi Metro, you will understand what we are capable of.
Ranjit – I would suggest that you write to Srinand Jha, who did today’s story. The material here might be of use to him.
Good idea. Will contact him and provide details.
Yes, I agree with Ranjit. My experience with Bangalore Rajdhani was equally bad. We are euphoric about profits in Railways..but that certainly should not be at the cost of quality ! We should make a concerted effort to ensure that premium trains like Rajdhanis are spared from degeneration.
I took Delhi-Patna Rajdhani last weekend and came back to Delhi using same train on tuesday evening. The experience has been very bad.
On the way to Patna, after the train left Mughalsarai , near Chandoli, the Pantry caught fire. Another train, Mahananda, alerted the driver and it was a narrow escape. The Pantry bogey was fully gutted. Since it was Pantry, there were lot of railway officials and they probably didn’t panic. The bogey was first cut from the rear end and then the driver moved the train a bit and then cut it from the front.
Read more here
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/patnabound-rajdhani-express-on-fire/88312-20.html
http://www.patnadaily.com/news2009/mar/032109/fire_in_rajdhani_express.html
The worse thing was that it took IR more than 4 hours to do anything about it. The train was back to Mughalsarai only by 8 or 9. After that we were given Rs 10 Junta breakfast packs. Accidents happen world over but its the preparedness which matters. When the train came back, I didn’t see any kind alacrity or urgency in the IR staff which were doing rounds.
Food is pretty bad, the potion is less and the quality suffers big time. I sincerely hope that somone looks at it.
I found this blog through Google mate. I kind of liked the theme alot.
Are you a member of digitalpont by any chance ??
Rajdhani trains started worsk category of station of indian capital, even platform doest not have proper sitting arrangement please improve infrasturure of Nizamuddin
Hi,
More than one year since you posted this, I can assure you that nothing changed for good. In fact, things got worse. The only difference is rats were not present. The staff were the worst – waking me up in the middle of my sleep for ‘chai paani’. And this after substandard service! And fellow passengers were no angels – they made the coach more dirty, played loud music through their mobiles and laptops and had utter disrespect to any body around. I have a feeling Samparkkranti is a better train to take than this old garbage.
I have been continously reading complaints about bangalore rajdhani .Still it had’nt reached the ears of the authorities?And what is going on?
is the view from inside hampered because of this retarded paint on the windows? I m?? travelling soon only because I wish to enjoy looking out of the window with my daughter :( Please reply.
PLease let us know is someone who had recently travelled with rajdhani, is it in any better shape now, thanks in advance
well! My experience is also the same.. n the authorities should really show some serious concerns towards the pathetic conditions of the coaches. According to some officials ,the new reck for the rajdhani has already been ordered that too in 2008, but there is no positive news coming in for the same.
well…m suposd 2 ctch d same train t0day evening….me 2 going 2 banglore…ur feedbk haz disturbd mah relievd mind…i thnk i mst tk neccesary stuff wd mahslf radr dn entirely dpndng upon deir services…
Hi Surbhi,
Kindly let us know how your experience was, I am planning to travel by Rajdhani from Blr to Del soon but am in two minds after reading this blog.
Has the service/standard/Quality improved or is it still the same?
I am thinking whether to travel by Rajdhani or Sampark Kranti. Please suggest.
Regards,
Akshay
hi there,
i am a great fan of Indian railways and had enjoyed my travels in the second class sleepers most of my journeys. i took AC 1st and 2nd class couple of occasions and did not quite enjoyed what i discovered. just the things people are mentioning here, old crappy AC boogies are being run for the payment of 1st and 2nd classes.
i am planning a trip to Bangalore in rajdhani just because of i am an railway enthusiast but i am changing my plan and flying instead.
Hi Guys,
Does someone has recently travelled in this train. We are planning to travel from delhi to bangalore.
After reading these reviews, my mind is changing a bit.
Any feedback in much appreciated
Hi,
I am planning to travel from Bangalore to Delhi with this train but after reading all the reviews now am in two minds which is the good one.
I changed my mind, so travelling by air. I booked seats via goibibo and got at reasonable price 3500
so its better to travel by air.
sanjay
Hi,
Has any of you travelled recently on this Rajdhani from Delhi to Bangalore? I am travelling in two weeks time. Would appreciate your feedback.
Regards,
Dwaraka.
Hi,
After a long time I changed my mind better not to travel in this train take airway…
till now its the same condition rajdhani coaches are verry old and there are no proper washrooms theere are no switches for charging only 1 switch for 2 tier and 3 tier food is cold as their ovens or watever they call it are not working since 3008 till now august 2011 sometimes the salad .pickle, curd is missing etc also they are charging more as durronto charges only 2500 for 2 tier and in rajdhani we pay 2770 rs no use of goin on trains take flights do hell with south indian railways.
Hi
I have a trip next week from Delhi to Hyd and wanted to check if the condition of the coaches and food quality has improved ?
This post of yours has brought me shivers. I am planning to go to Bangalore next month by Rajdhani express. Should I drop the idea? Or, things have changed considerably by now? Please anyone ! Let me know.
hi sushant its better than before ..they have now changed the normal coaches to LHB coaches but still not upto the mark – managable
Hi everyone, I am a journalist cum writer and a Mphil student from Sri lanka.I was on a holiday in India with my husband. I traveled this morning in Rajdhani from Delhi to Bangalore.I realized that I have lost my diary in the train.Now I am at the aiport.My whole writings are on it,is there any way to get it back.I am really worried.