Kalka shatabdi express.

I am just back from a trip with my partner to Chandigarh via Kalka Shatabdi Express. We had booked the AC Chair Car two months back and there were about 600 seats available. I was surprised to face these issues :

1. Both ways we were given seats on the three seat side instead of the two seat side. Whenever we have travelled in the past, we have always got the two seat side so it is easy for couples to spend time together freely. This time I was so irritated and was perplexed why irctc gave us seats this way even when there were so many seats available. On the way to Chandigarh we had a mother with a small child seated beside us, which was quite a disturbance and we could not even talk to each other much or rest. On the way back we were lucky to get a guy sitting beside us who was busy with his phone but still we felt very awkward to even talk to each other.

The passengers should be given the right to choose their seats, just like in flights. Train fares are not cheap like before and the passengers should have the option to choose the seats or at least show which seats are being allotted.

2. The train for onward journey to Chandigarh, the bathrooms were pathetic. I wish I had taken pictures. They were worse than public toilets, absolutely filthy, no hand wash, whole bathroom was black in colour with water everywhere. We pay a lot for Shatabdi, the passengers need decent, clean bathrooms. On the way back, the train was much better, thank God.

3. At Chandigarh railway station, instead of getting a local taxi when the taxi guys were pestering us, we went to the government taxi counter to book a cab to take us to the hotel in Panchkula thinking we will not be cheated. Boy I got a shock when my partner came back and said it will cost us Rs.2000/- one way to Panchkula whereas the hotel guy had told us it is a short trip about half hour to 45 minutes and taxi will cost about 500-600 rs. We got into the taxi and I started arguing with the cab guy who was pretending he is very honest and nice. He said we dont need to pay 2000 but whatever is the journey duration we can pay. When we reached the hotel, he charged us 1000 outright. What cheats we have in this country. I really thought Chandigarh is a good place unlike other states.

If this is the case with Indians, I cant even imagine the plight with foreigners. The railways should look into such incidents and see that such things do not occur.

Can irctc do something about the issues listed above ?? more