Taj Express – Not like Tajmahal. Review on Local Trains

I could not find Taj Express listed in any category. The nearest category could be 'local trains', as it takes only three hours to Agra. So friends bear with me and enjoy the review.

Taj Express is a very popular train for those who want to see Tajmahal. For last many years this train is carrying passengers to Agra for seeing Tajmahal and other historic places in and around Agra. It is also a convenient train for those who want to go to Agra for business purposes. You leave New Delhi in the morning and after attending to your business and sightseeing come back in the evening.

The train earlier used to run between New Delhi and Agra, but was later extended to Gwalior. After that it has become a frequent late arrival at Agra in its return journey. For last more than five years I am travelling by this train for my business trips to Agra. I have seen it loosing its punctuality. With additional stop at Faridabad the running time has also increased. Although it has been made ?Super Fast? the effect is not noticeable to passengers.

During this year the railway management responsible for running of this train has adopted Quality Management Systems in its working as per internationally accepted system management standard ISO 9001: 2000. I have come to know about it only with the display of ISO 9001:2000 on the outside of every coach and the Quality Policy inside the compartments. There is no other objective evidence indicative of system implementation during your journey.

I was always critical of on-board services, such as, serving of food items and cleanliness especially in toilets. But when I noticed that the services on the train are now ISI 9001 certified my expectations were naturally increased to a higher level. The quality policy displayed in the train also claims that management is committed to provide the highest grade of service.

I was surprised when the staff travelling on the train could not tell me the name of the agency which has audited the system and certified the services on train as conforming to the requirements of ISO9001: 2000 and railway?s service specified standards/ benchmarks in their system . Their knowledge about it and other aspects of ISO 9001 system and its certification was in no case more than mine.

As far as services are concerned, food is still being served in the same unhygienic manner. The cleanliness in the toilets has not improved. The only addition is the liquid soap but it is so dilute that if two persons clean their hands properly the container will be empty. Passengers are still being welcomed by mosquitoes on their entry in the AC chair Car. I gave written suggestions on more than one occasion but they were not acknowledged and no evidence of taking any action is evident.

Let me give you an example how food is served in the train. If you order breakfast then it will be served on the wooden plank at the back of the seat in your front. No tray is used Food is simply put on the wooden plank. Also no hygienic place has been provided for storage of food items before these are served. Food items in big plastic trays are kept on floor in the space between AC portion of the compartment and toilets. Waiters no doubt wear a dress but have not been provided with aprons, caps and hand gloves.

When asked if this is the highest grade of service railway management can think of, the waiter and Ticket Examiner had no reply. On one day objective evidence also was seen to prove that management is not able to meet its commitment of providing highest grade of service. Two railway officials were travelling in the train. The way and the manner in which they were served food were certainly few grades higher than that in case of passengers who pay for the food. I pointed it out to concerned people who could only say that they had been taking it up with management but no action is being taken. This means that management is also not able to provide required resources, an essential requirement of ISO 9001:2000.

After travelling in Taj Express, a super fast ISO 9001:2000certified train, I can only conclude that railway management has only completed a formality of designing, implementing a quality management system for services on board the train and getting the same certified by some certification agency. Neither railways nor certification agency are interested in ensure that system is implemented effectively and passengers feel satisfied. There is a possibility that personnel involved in this certification might have been rewarded by promotion or in some other manner for achieving this feat. But the customers, the passengers on board, are a very dissatisfied lot.

I will no doubt recommend Taj Express to the tourists and businessmen even after writing this review. It is my compulsion as I have no other train to suggest.

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