Railways chugging with thinking cap on!

The Indian Railways (IR) is indeed trying to think out-of-the-box! Maybe for the first time ever!

Two months ago, IR had invited its 13-lakh employees, across all 17 zones, to submit one new idea which they think will improve the services of IR. It was a forum open to all, no protocol, no hierarchy – right from the cleaner to the general manager, all were encouraged to present an idea. They all were asked one simple question – what if you become the Railway Minister?

Till 1st Nov, the IR received as many as one lakh new ideas of which 14,000 have been shortlisted by a 7-panel joint secretary officers – they have patented these ideas already to avoid duplication.  Out of all these ideas, 15 of them, the best ones, will be presented like a business plan to the Prime Minister when he attends the railway offsite scheduled to be held in Haryana’s Surajkund between November 18 and 20. 

Some of the ideas – a TV channel of IR where it beams programs in the coupes – why not when IR is so huge! There is also the idea of booking a porter app – something like the Uber where the porter will wait for you when you arrive at the station. Plans of smart card, loyalty programs, heritage tourism at Rewari Steam Locomotive Shed in Haryana, large-scale solar energy development on railway land around stations in small towns, bundling of advertisements in IR’s SMS services and offering vacant and surplus railway quarters on rent to private individuals – so many ideas for generating additional revenue.

Wow! The ideas are many and extremely creative too! Lets see which 15 make it to the top and how many of them actually get implemented! Wish the Air India also does this!