A Swachh Train Travel! Need Your Coach Cleaned Just SMS to 9821736069
Mangaluru: The Palakkad Division of Southern Railway has covered nine of its important trains with onboard housekeeping service (OBHS) to ensure that train patrons have a pleasant journey. The facility is intended to enhance passenger comfort in reserved coaches. Available in reserved coaches, the service may be obtained by a passenger on sending text message to dedicated Coach Mitra number Ph: 9821736069. Services available include Coach Cleaning (C), Electrical (E), Linen/Bed Roll (L), Pest Control (P), Petty Repairs (R), Toilet Cleaning (T) and Watering (W).
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, an Officer with Southern Railway said, “While complaints pertaining to coach cleanliness, toilet cleaning and watering would be attended by OBHS personnel, other categories of complaints would be attended to at the next railway station, said a senior Railway official in Mangaluru Railway Region. The complaint has to be in the following format: OB<space><Complaint Type><space><PNR><space> Description of the complaint. Example; OB T 2463124577 Toilet not cleaned. Complaint type and PNR are mandatory”.
“Once the passenger registers the complaint, he would get an acknowledgment and it would be forwarded to the supervisor of the OBHS team on the particular train. After the complaint is attended, the passenger has to respond to the quality of service (satisfied/ not satisfied) through a one-time password sent to him, only after which the supervisor can close the complaint. OBHS is provided through outsourcing even as the Railways thoroughly conducts the background examination of the workers concerned before deploying them on trains. The service is available between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. only as the Railways does not want to disturb passengers during sleeping hours. To ensure that the service is rendered as prescribed, officials from the Railways will conduct surprise checks on trains” added the Officer.
They will send text messages using some PNR numbers to check whether there is an immediate response to the grievance. If found not satisfactory either by officials or passengers through their feedback, the contractor would be penalized. It is learnt that OBHS personnel are expected to maintain coaches and toilets neat and tidy even without any complaint as a routine and that they have to replenish consumables in toilets; collect trash from passengers and dispose of at identified stations. There would be one worker for every three coaches.
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