The case of a ticket to be cancelled
This is how it started...
I got a train ticket for 28th October 2005 - for journey from Chennai to Coimbatore via IRCTC. Amount was transferred from my bank account and I received the ticket from IRCTC in courier. Few days bfore the journey date, I took it for cancellation. I was told that the ticket(with the given PNR no and ticket no) has been reported "Lost" in Chennai Annanagar Railway Reservation Centre by somebody. In Coimbatore, I was told to go to Annanagar Railway Reservation Centre. But does it make sense? If somebody in Assam Reservation centre has reported the ticket "lost", should I then go to Assam? What is the need for all this Centralisation?
What I don't understand here is that - I am holding the ticket. It is in my possession since the time I got it. The ticket amt was transferred from my account. I have booked for me in my name. How the hell can they accept a reported lost case?
So I then mailed IRCTC.There was no reply for more than two weeks. Wondering why they display their mail id. I don't think if somebody even cares to check it. If they are acting on it, I should at least get a response from them saying that they are looking into it.No. That wasn't the case.
Then I checked Chennai Central Railway phone no in net and called them up. They told me to write a letter to CCM(Chief Commercial Manager), Re-funds section, Southern Railway Headquarters, Chennai. I wrote a detailed letter with a Xerox copy of the ticket I am holding and couriered it to them on 14th November 2005 and waited. No response.
I went to CCM office in person. They told me to go to Annanagar Reservation Centre, meet the Chief Reservations Supervisor and get a report from him.Only if they change the status of "Reported Lost" from there, the CCM office will proceed further.
I travelled in bus from Chennai Central to Annanagar(upto Thirumanagalam bus stop). Most of them dint know that such a reservation centre even existed. I was led to Annanagar Railway station, from there to ICF Reservation Centre and from there to Annanagar Railway Reservation Centre in Chintamani bus stop. It can be reached with a Tasmac wine shop and bar on the way.
Then in the Annanagar Reservation centre, the Chief Reservation Supervisor(CRS) tells me that there is no such "Reported Lost" case there, as far as he checked in his files(in the file where he records all the complaints, Reported Lost cases,etc). And thanks to Centralisation, the CRS told me after 3 days of journey date, they won't be able to access the PNR nos from their centre, and that I should go to main reservation centre.
I explained to him that I can't keep roaming here and there and told him that I atleast want a report that there was no such "Reported Lost" case in their centre. He told me to write a letter requesting that report, and signed it with his seal. Took atleast 1 hr there.
Now I have to take it to CCM office again.
The ticket cost is Rs. 235. But I would have atleast spent Rs. 100 on this -including travel charge, courier charge, etc.
The state of Indian Railways - well no comments.
I got a train ticket for 28th October 2005 - for journey from Chennai to Coimbatore via IRCTC. Amount was transferred from my bank account and I received the ticket from IRCTC in courier. Few days bfore the journey date, I took it for cancellation. I was told that the ticket(with the given PNR no and ticket no) has been reported "Lost" in Chennai Annanagar Railway Reservation Centre by somebody. In Coimbatore, I was told to go to Annanagar Railway Reservation Centre. But does it make sense? If somebody in Assam Reservation centre has reported the ticket "lost", should I then go to Assam? What is the need for all this Centralisation?
What I don't understand here is that - I am holding the ticket. It is in my possession since the time I got it. The ticket amt was transferred from my account. I have booked for me in my name. How the hell can they accept a reported lost case?
So I then mailed IRCTC.There was no reply for more than two weeks. Wondering why they display their mail id. I don't think if somebody even cares to check it. If they are acting on it, I should at least get a response from them saying that they are looking into it.No. That wasn't the case.
Then I checked Chennai Central Railway phone no in net and called them up. They told me to write a letter to CCM(Chief Commercial Manager), Re-funds section, Southern Railway Headquarters, Chennai. I wrote a detailed letter with a Xerox copy of the ticket I am holding and couriered it to them on 14th November 2005 and waited. No response.
I went to CCM office in person. They told me to go to Annanagar Reservation Centre, meet the Chief Reservations Supervisor and get a report from him.Only if they change the status of "Reported Lost" from there, the CCM office will proceed further.
I travelled in bus from Chennai Central to Annanagar(upto Thirumanagalam bus stop). Most of them dint know that such a reservation centre even existed. I was led to Annanagar Railway station, from there to ICF Reservation Centre and from there to Annanagar Railway Reservation Centre in Chintamani bus stop. It can be reached with a Tasmac wine shop and bar on the way.
Then in the Annanagar Reservation centre, the Chief Reservation Supervisor(CRS) tells me that there is no such "Reported Lost" case there, as far as he checked in his files(in the file where he records all the complaints, Reported Lost cases,etc). And thanks to Centralisation, the CRS told me after 3 days of journey date, they won't be able to access the PNR nos from their centre, and that I should go to main reservation centre.
I explained to him that I can't keep roaming here and there and told him that I atleast want a report that there was no such "Reported Lost" case in their centre. He told me to write a letter requesting that report, and signed it with his seal. Took atleast 1 hr there.
Now I have to take it to CCM office again.
The ticket cost is Rs. 235. But I would have atleast spent Rs. 100 on this -including travel charge, courier charge, etc.
The state of Indian Railways - well no comments.
posted by Fathima Sagar | 10:45:00 pm
15 Comments:
True, that you have underwent a lot of agony. But that is the case with most systems, which are a lot more user friendly, pre-business, but become an absolute nuisance post-business, in case you landed up with an issue. Hope the railways will take up the issue and come up with appropriate solution for problems of this kind.
I dont get that tasmac/bar stuff. U got fed up and gave a try before finding the RRC? ;-)
hey fathima..i am about to cancel a ticket booked thru irctc..ur incident is scaring me..but i am sure ur amt will be credited back for ur efforts--Munch
Hmmm...
The Railway seems to be determined to get u acquainted with their inner workings.
(there was a munch in my college too!)
hee hee .. Its funny... If the queen cant get it done in her own country... then... hee heee...
Seriously, it sounds like a lot of buck passing. Is it too much to expect that a cancellation will proceed just as smoothly as the reservation?? Shouldn't it just be the reverse or just a modified form of the booking itself?? How can something be so complicated? The half baked systems! Bake it fully people. Or atleast give a warning that it is only half done.
Parthi, lemme hope for the best.
And if I was u, I wud have given a try at Tasmac.
Munch, this doesn't happen always. Don't worry.
Iris, she was known as Munch within our friends circle in college.
Getting acquainted with inner workings or inner deficiencies?
wow....lol, that's a funny incident.. travelling just ain't ur thing , I guess.
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Our munch was a guy...
May be the railways saw that u are BIG...(Bada Intelligent Girl)
and wanted to test u out... hee heee..
tasmac.. lol@banti..
fathi...romba kasta patu irukka pola.. very bad... intha system ellam eppo thaan olunga aakuvaangalo
I have had good exxperiences with IRCTC so far, touch wood. Passing the buck is a favourite game for such employees, though.
Hey Fathima.. i got my tickets cancelled and my funds refunded:))..thanx for ur words!!
what happened to urs?? did u go to the ccm office..??what abt ur cash??..left the story half way thru..Munch..
Chaos, "travel not my thing" -this stmt is wrong. Any travel I take turns adventurous. I guess - Robinson Crusoe will bcome jealous if he sees me :)
Iris, they dint think at all. Thats the problem. They dint anticipate such situations.
Anand Prabhu, don't LOL :(((((((((((.
Indha system ellaathaiyum naan manasu vechchaa thaan maatha mudiyum.(This stmt is the effect of listening to the voices of all new political parties cropping up).
Jinguchakka, may b u r only booking tickets via IRCTC.
Munch, will continue the story soon. Dint get back cash yet.
I had a similar problem once after using the irctc facility. I saw that there was too much of red tape involved and decided to drop the case. I lost the ticket fare, but thatz worth the time saved !
Jayan, nice to c one more person who has experienced the same problem. Yaam petra inbam peruga ivvaiyagame. JUs kidding:-)
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