Passengers of over 116 stations of Dhanbad rail division can now board the social media to like, dislike, add hashtags and generally share their train journey experience virtually.
One of the most influential divisions in eastern India, Dhanbad pipped Ranchi and Tatanagar to launch both Facebook and Twitter accounts on Monday, acting on an Indian Railways directive to give passengers the virtual edge. Ranchi has a Twitter account but no Facebook; Tatanagar has none.
A social media infant at present, Dhanbad division's accounts in the coming days will help passengers who are Facebook and Twitter users to vent out their gripes, share suggestions for improvement and get know-how on schedules, amenities, delays, cancellations, berth availability and so on.
Facebook and Twitter have the same account, drmdhnecr, the first three alphabets signifying divisional railway manager, the next three Dhanbad and the last three East Central Railway, the zone under which Dhanbad division falls.
"We will upload data on cancellations, delays and diversions due to accidents, track damage, flooding, Naxalite attacks, fog, damage of overhead equipment, etc. We will inform about berths available in trains crossing or originating from Dhanbad," said Dayanand, senior divisional commercial manger of Dhanbad division, East Central Railway.
"Also, to give our profiles a personal touch, we will upload information on projects taken up by division in the last 30 years, including amenities introduced and planned at different stations. Information on seminars, conferences and training programmes organised by the railways for employees will be uploaded," he added.
"Facebook and Twitter are forums for passengers and railway staff to know how we function, where we succeed and what our lapses are," Dayanand said. "Let me clarify Facebook and Twitter are not formal grievance redress forums. But, passengers can share if toilet taps don't work, coaches are dirty and unclean, food served in station canteen or pantry cars is substandard, staff misbehave on trains, bed sheets and blankets in AC coaches are dirty and ACs malfunction. We will take appropriate action."
Dhanbad divisional railway manager B.B. Singh would also keep tabs on passenger suggestions made on the two accounts, Dayanand added.
Ranchi railway division launched a Twitter handle, on July 28, but it one follower and is following one person. "We will highlight events of this division through this handle," said Niraj Kumar, senior divisional commercial manager in Ranchi.
Chakradharpur railway division under South Eastern Railway, under which Tatanagar falls, doesn't have Facebook or Twitter accounts. Spokesperson-cum-senior divisional commercial manager of Chakradharpur division, A.K. Agarwal said: "We have received no directive from headquarters. It is an additional job for which we need extra people."
In April, Indian Railways issued a circular asking all divisions to open Facebook and Twitter accounts to give passengers a voice apart from the all-India 24/7 helpline 138 that allows anyone to lodge a complaint while travelling by train.
With bureau inputs
