Explanation:
Only 57% of the expenses for urban trains and 40% for suburban trains have been recuperated, a fact that regular train travelers might have observed through ticket prices.
Despite these challenges, Indian Railways has achieved a remarkable milestone in the 2022-23 fiscal year, reporting a record revenue of ₹2.40 lakh crore. This represents a substantial increase of almost ₹49,000 crore compared to the previous year, as highlighted in a ministry statement on Monday. Notably, the freight revenue experienced a significant uptick, reaching ₹1.62 lakh crore, marking a robust growth of nearly 15% from the preceding year, as reported by NDTV on April 18, 2023.
Idea:
I propose a solution to address the revenue recovery challenges faced by Indian Railways: the installation of multipurpose sensors in each train coach. These sensors would count the number of passengers through QR code-enabled tickets. Upon boarding, passengers would verify their tickets with the sensor, updating the count of verified individuals at each station (e.g., from station A to B).
In cases where a passenger genuinely forgot to purchase a ticket or couldn't do so beforehand, the sensor could facilitate ticket purchases on the spot. The count of verified passengers would be adjusted accordingly. To deter individuals attempting to travel without a valid ticket, the sensors would emit an annoying sound in the event of a mismatch between the actual headcount and the number of verified tickets. This auditory alert would persist until the counts are reconciled.
Addressing concerns about potential inconvenience to verified passengers due to the actions of unverified individuals, it's crucial to recognize that the current system already imposes a financial burden on legitimate travelers. The proposed solution aims to shift behaviors gradually, making ticket purchase a habitual practice.
Positive criticism and collaborative brainstorming are encouraged to refine this proposal or explore alternative ideas. By implementing such a system, it is conceivable that Indian Railways could recover a significant portion of the revenue gap (estimated at ₹2.55 lakh crore annually) and foster a culture of responsible ticket purchasing. I am open to collaboration with anyone interested in advancing this initiative.
Impacts of the Research:
i) Increase in Revenue of Indian Railways
ii) Reduction in Railway Ticket Price in the Long Run
One can see if it is possible to serve tea/ drinks/ snacks with some extra luxurious facility to 2nd ac and 1st ac from irctc like rajdhani. Which price should not be included in ticket. It should be separate. And there should be magazine which people can take ri read for some price and return back. News paper facility. Several times there is an internet issue, so there may be chargeable wifi.