Northeast Frontier Railway introduces tech-driven enhanced on-board services in five superfast trains

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Guwahati, Oct 18 (IANS) Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has introduced enhanced on-board services in five selected superfast train services, becoming the second zonal railway in the country to implement the initiative, officials said on Sunday.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the services have been introduced in Kamakhya-SMVT Bengaluru Express, Guwahati-Kolkata Garib Rath Express, Dibrugarh-Mumbai LTT Express, New Jalpaiguri-Patna Vande Bharat Express and New Jalpaiguri–Guwahati Vande Bharat Express.

He said that the enhanced services were introduced in the two New Jalpaiguri-based Vande Bharat Express trains on October 14 in the presence of senior railway officials.

On the same day, the Kamakhya-SMVT Bengaluru Express was also equipped with these services from its originating station, Kamakhya, adjoining Guwahati city.

The Guwahati-Kolkata Garib Rath Express and Dibrugarh-Mumbai LTT Express had already commenced operations with enhanced On-Board Services on October 10 and 11, respectively.

The enhanced On-Board Services aim to improve cleanliness, hygiene and passenger comfort through regular coach and AC window cleaning, better washroom maintenance, efficient waste management and timely distribution and collection of linen.

According to CPRO Sharma, dedicated teams will provide basic technical assistance, monitor water availability and address passenger complaints within a target of two hours, with unresolved issues escalated to the concerned Railway authorities.

The initiative also incorporates digital monitoring, geo-tagged service verification, staff tracking and a centralised monitoring mechanism to strengthen accountability and service delivery.

Real-time passenger feedback, star ratings and AI-based cleaning assessments will further facilitate performance evaluation and ensure continuous improvement in service quality and the overall passenger experience, the CPRO said.

Through this initiative, Northeast Frontier Railway aims to further improve on-board cleanliness, maintain higher hygiene standards and enhance passenger satisfaction.

By integrating technology-driven housekeeping, digital monitoring and prompt grievance redressal, NFR is committed to providing passengers with a cleaner, more comfortable and improved travel experience, the NFR official noted.

–IANS

sc/khz

Related Posts

Hand over contractor suicide case to CBI or face protest on Jan 4: BJP to K’taka govt

Bengaluru, Dec 30 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has demanded handing over of a contractor’s suicide case allegedly involving the close aide of Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or face a protest on January 4.

Addressing a press conference on Monday in Bengaluru at the party office, BJP state President B.Y. Vijayendra warned that if the state government fails to hand over the case to the CBI, the party would stage a massive protest in Kalaburagi on January 4.

“We will also lay siege to the residence of Priyank Kharge at Kalaburagi,” Vijayendra stated.

“Mr. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, you don’t fear that if action is taken against Priyank Kharge you will get a call from New Delhi and your position will be in danger. Do not fear and initiate action against Priyank Kharge. You claim yourself to be the champion of the Backward Classes. The contractor who committed suicide hails from the Backward Classes,” he stated.

“The contractor, Sachin had stated in his death note that killers were hired for executing the Andola seer and BJP leaders from Solapur in Maharashtra,” Vijayendra claimed.

“This is a serious matter. The BJP will wait till January 3. Let god give good sense to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to hand over the case to the CBI,” he urged.

“Ever since the Congress government came to power, the number of suicide cases have gone up. The state had never witnessed a series of deaths like it is now. The sisters of the deceased contractor had gone to the police seeking help. The police did not bother about them for 12 hours. Instead, the police had humiliated and insulted the sisters,” Vijayendra alleged.

“Police negligence is a crime as their action would have saved the life of the contractor,” he said.

“The accused, Raju Kapanuru, who allegedly threatened the deceased, is a close aide of Priyank Kharge and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. The accused is not an ordinary person and is highly influential. In this backdrop, the case should be handed over to the CBI,” Vijayendra stated.

Vijayendra also released photos of Raju Kapanuru with Priyanka Kharge, Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Vijayendra further stated that it was the demand of the family of the deceased Sachin that the case be handed over to the CBI.

“Earlier, former BJP minister K.S. Eshwarappa had resigned following the suicide of a contractor. Minister for Power K.J. George had tendered his resignation following the suicide of Deputy SP Ganapathi during the rule of the earlier Congress government,” he underlined.

The government should immediately take the resignation of Minister Priyank Kharge and provide Rs 1 crore compensation to the family of the deceased contractor, he demanded.

Sachin, a 26-year-old contractor on last Thursday committed suicide in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district following alleged threats to his life and extortion by an aide of Priyank Kharge. The deceased contractor has left a seven-page suicide note and alleged that Minister Kharge’s aide and Kalaburagi City Corporation’s former member Raju Kapanuru’s atrocities led him to take the extreme step.

Reacting to the demand by the BJP, Minister Priyank Kharge declared in Bengaluru on Monday that no matter what the BJP demands, he would not resign.

“I have not denied that the accused Raju Kapanuru is my aide. I have demanded an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Raju was with the BJP earlier and he was the President of BJP ST Morcha,” Minister Priyank charged.

“If they have any documents let them show. Vijayendra is not the Supreme Court. There is a money laundering case against Vijayendra so why is he not tendering his resignation?” Priyank questioned.

Talking about the protest in Kalaburagi, Priyank mocked, “Let the BJP convey how many people are gathering in Kalaburagi to protest against me. I will make arrangements for tea. Otherwise, you will protest that I did not even offer water.”

–IANS

mka/rad

Odisha Bandh by NKSS partially disrupts normal life

Bhubaneswar, Jan 28 (IANS) The statewide bandh called by the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) on Wednesday over multiple issues had a partial impact on normal life in Odisha. The outfit observed an eight-hour Odisha Bandh from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday over chaos at state-run mandis and severe mismanagement in the paddy procurement system.

Apart from this, the farmers’ organisation also protested the alleged forceful installation of electricity smart meters and the imposition of excessive penalties on vehicle owners in the name of the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC). It is pertinent to mention here that the opposition Congress, the Left parties, and other like-minded bodies extended their support to the bandh call given by the NNKS.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also welcomed the call and offered its moral support. Despite picketing at different places by members of the outfit and the Congress, commercial establishments remained open. Even in Bhubaneswar city, shops and malls functioned normally after 11 a.m.

However, most educational institutions remained closed due to the bandh call. Private buses did not operate in many places, leading to a partial disruption of public transport. In line with the organisation’s announcement, emergency and medical services continued to operate without disruption. Train services remained normal across the state.

Speaking to media persons about the impact of the bandh in Bhubaneswar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Meena said that around 11 a.m., protesters held rallies at various locations across Bhubaneswar before converging at the Master Canteen area, where the rally was formally concluded by the police.

He said that several demonstrators, including some of the organisation’s leaders, were detained as a preventive measure and taken to the Commissionerate Police Control Office.

“More than 50 people were detained from different locations and shifted in buses to the control office to ensure that traffic and public movement were not disrupted,” the DCP said.

Meanwhile, NNKS leader Akshaya Kumar accused the state government of ignoring the struggles of farmers, daily wage workers, and ordinary citizens. He alleged that despite claims of economic development, the benefits are not reaching those at the grassroots level.

“Farmers are being forced to sell their produce at Mandis with heavy losses. What should be around 40 quintals is reduced to barely 10 quintals in official calculations. They haven’t been issued a token. Instead of addressing these issues, the police are being used to suppress our voices,” Kumar said.

He further alleged that heavy fines are being imposed on common people under the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate system, calling it an additional financial burden on motorists.

Targeting the power sector, he accused Tata Power of “looting consumers” through what he described as excessive and unjustified charges. He claimed that these issues have received widespread public support across Odisha.

“The government is not listening to the people. If our voices continue to be ignored, this movement will grow stronger in the coming days,” Kumar asserted.

–IANS

gyan/uk

Around 6,000 Airbus A320 family aircraft set to face disruptions this weekend; Ops expected to normalise by Dec 1 or 2

New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS) Air travel in India and abroad is set to face disruptions this weekend as 6,000 Airbus A320 family aircraft have been grounded for a mandatory software update. Airlines worldwide are expected to complete the upgrade by early next week.

In India, more than 350 A320-series planes operated by IndiGo and the Air India Group will be temporarily taken out of service for the exercise, which could last two to three days. Operations are expected to normalise by December 1 or 2.

This global move comes after a safety investigation into a JetBlue flight incident that occurred on October 30.

The aircraft, operating from Cancun to Newark, suddenly pitched down mid-air, injuring 15 passengers. The plane was later diverted to Tampa, where several travellers received medical care.

According to the US National Transportation Safety Board, the unexpected nose-down movement was linked to a fault in the flight control system triggered by a switching event. Based on this finding, regulators, including the European Aviation Safety Authority, along with Airbus, issued mandatory action requiring airlines to update the affected systems.

Globally, around 6,000 A320 aircraft will require updates. For newer models, the upgrade could take less than 30 minutes with a standard software loader. However, older aircraft may need additional hardware-related changes, likely increasing the duration of the process and temporarily impacting flight schedules.

Airlines have now begun informing passengers and issuing advisories through official platforms.

IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, posted on social media platform X stating, “Safety comes first. Always. Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols.

“While we work through these precautionary updates, some flights may see some slight schedule changes. Our teams are here 24×7 to support you with rebooking, updates, and information. Please check your latest flight status on our app/website before heading to the airport. Thank you for your patience and trust on us.”

Air New Zealand issued a similar update, confirming temporary grounding of its A320 aircraft early on Friday. The airline clarified that there is no immediate safety risk and referred to the action as a precautionary measure.

It added that EASA has allowed aircraft to continue operations until November 30 (NZ time), enabling some scheduled services to operate before upgrades begin. The airline assured passengers that it is working swiftly to reduce disruption and will reach out directly to affected travellers.

Air India also took to social media platform ‘X’ and said, “We are aware of a directive from Airbus related to its A320 family aircraft currently in-service across airline operators.

“This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations. Air India regrets any inconvenience this may cause to passengers till the reset is carried out across the fleet. We request customers to check their flight status at https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before heading to the airport and connect with our contact centre at 011-69329333, 011-69329999 for any further assistance.”

Meanwhile, Airbus confirmed the reason behind the mandatory update, stating that strong solar radiation could corrupt critical flight control data on certain A320-family jets. The fix is designed to eliminate this potential vulnerability and ensure continued safe operation.

–IANS

jk/rad