QUESTIONNAIRE TO ELICIT INFORMATION REGARDING SERVICE QUALITY IN SOUTHERN RAILWAY

(Questionnaire for survey among passengers)

Strictly Confidential
Please put (√) in the appropriate column.
I Personal information:
1. Age : Below 30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 and above

2. Division : TVC PGT MAS

3. Sex : Male Female

4. Occupation Student Business Salaried Professional Others

5. How frequently do you avail the services of Railways?

Daily Weekly Occasionally Rarely Very Rarely

6. Purpose of journey

Study Employment House hold matters Touring

7. Type of train you frequently use

Passenger Express Super fast Jan Shatabdi

8. Traveling class

Second ordinary Second express Sleeper class A/C class

9. Rank your opinion as 1,2,3,4 & 5 about preference of rail service to other modes of transport.

Low fare Comforts Speed Security Reliability

10. Rank your opinion as 1,2,3,4 about improvement in passenger amenities if you are rail passengers for more
than a period of five years?

Comforts Convenience Safety Punctuality

Appendix

II FARE AND OTHER CHARGES

11. Rate your opinion regarding fare and other charges.
FARE Very High High Moderate Low Very Low
Ordinary Ticket fare:
Express Ticket fare
A/c class fare
OTHER CHARGES
Sleeper Charges
Super fast charges
Tatkal charges
Cancellation Charges
12. Are you availing any concession in fare? Yes No
If yes, the type of concession you are availing
Season tickets Izzat (Rs.25) Senior citizen Others
II TICKETING AND FACILITIES AT THE COUNTER
A ) Ticketing
Rank your opinion in the order of preference as 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 for the following questions from
13 &14
13. Method of getting tickets
Ticket counters e- ticketing Post-Offices
Vending machines Jana sadharan ticket agents
14. Difficulty in e-ticketing
Service charges Automatic cancellation of waitlisted tickets
Change in name and boarding station Connectivity problems
15. Do you favor introduction of more number of Rail Agents ticket counters?
Yes No
16. If you are a season ticket holder, express your opinion by using a tick mark.
Highly Highly
satisfied Moderate Dissatisfied
satisfied dissatisfied
Number of unreserved
coaches in trains.
Fare in relation to
comforts.
Conversion of express
trains into super fast

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17. Express your opinion by using a tick mark.

Highly Highly
satisfied Moderate Dissatisfied
satisfied dissatisfied
Availability of seats in Tatkal
Tatkal period

18. Do you know about Automatic up gradation scheme? Yes No

Have you ever enjoyed it? Yes No
B) Facilities at the reservation/ ticket counter
19.Mark your opinion in the appropriate Highly Highly
Satisfied Moderate Dissatisfied
column by putting a tick( √ ) mark Satisfied dissatisfied
Number of Reservation Counters
Working hours of reservation counters
Advance booking period for reservation
Safety and security at the counter
III FACILITIES AT PLATFORMS AND STATIONS
23. Please mark your opinion by Very
Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor
Putting a tick mark poor
Basic amenities
Cleanliness on platforms
Security at stations and platforms
Drinking water arrangements
Waiting rooms
Retiring rooms & Cloak rooms
Seating, fans and lighting facility
Pay and use toilets
Modern amenities
ATM facility
Refreshment/food plazas
Touch screen system
Signage and coach indication boards
Television and Audio systems
Out-station or transportation facilities
Availability of porters and trolleys
Parking facility
Availability of Auto/Taxi/Buses

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Appendix

IV.FACILITIES IN TRAINS
24. Please mark your Opinion by putting a tick Highly Highly
Satisfied Moderate Dissatisfied
mark satisfied dissatisfied
Basic amenities
Cleanliness in trains
Proper maintenance of coaches
Security in trains
Watering arrangements
Catering services
Availability of ladies coaches
Medical assistance during emergencies
Modern amenities
Mobile charging facilities
Recreation facilities
Facilities for physically challenged persons

VI. HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS

25. Have you ever faced with any offences in trains like:

Public Nuisance Seat cornering Theft of property Others (specify)

26. If you have lodged any complaints to the railway authorities, specify
A) The method used:
Complaint book kept in trains/stations
Written complaints to higher officials
Oral complaints
Complaints through E-mail
B) Response to your complaints:
Not acknowledged
Acknowledge with usual excuses
Assurance received to take corrective action
Corrective action taken
Penalized the concerned employee

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27. Behavior of railway employees

Highly Highly
Put Tick mark against your answer. satisfied
Satisfied Moderate Dissatisfied
dissatisfied
At the Counter
At the station
In the train
Sincerity in discharging their duties
VII. PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS
28. Please express your opinion regarding Punctuality of trains.
A) Which of the following trains are not maintaining punctuality?
Put TICK Mark Always Frequently Rarely Very rarely Never
Passenger/Suburban
Express/ Mail
Super fast
Jan shatabdi
Rajadhani

B) When trains are unusually detained, have you ever informed of the reasons, approximate time of
departure etc.

Always Frequently Rarely Very rarely Never

29. Give your valuable suggestions in any of the above mentioned aspects:

……GE………

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Appendix

EMPLOYEES’ PERCEPTIONS ON TURNAROUND STRATEGIES IN SOUTHERN RAILWAY

Questionnaire for survey among employees. STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Please put (√) in the appropriate column.
I SAMPLE DETAILS

1. Name of the division. TVC PGT MAS SA

2. Name of the department. Traffic Commercial Mechanical

II PERSONAL PARTICULARS

3. Age : Below30 30-39 40-49 50-59

4. Sex : Male Female

5. Educational qualification. SSLC Degree PG Professional/ Technical

6. Marital status: Single Married Divorced Widow/Widower

7. Spouse employed or not: Yes No

8. Length of service. Less than 5years 5-9 years 10-14 years 15-19 20 and above
III ORGANIZATION CULTURE RELATED.
9. Please state your opinion regarding:
A. Present pay.

Well paid Commensurate with work Moderate

Less than I deserve Very low compared to similar jobs

B. Promotion Policy

Fair and transparent Based on seniority Based on performance

Regular promotion Unfair

C. Training

a). Do you get adequate training for the present job? Yes No
b) Basis of selecting employees for training

Poor Performance Merit Seniority No basis

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D. Your participation in other activities.

Employees’ co-operative societies Cultural Trade Union

Sports activities Others

IV ATTITUDE OF SUPERIORS
10.

A) Do you report your grievances on work to superiors? Yes No

If yes, expresses your opinion about the response.

Immediate action Forward to higher authorities

Delegate powers to redress the grievance Respond only with repeated reminders

No response
C) Please put tick mark against Highly Highly
satisfied moderate Dissatisfied
your answer. satisfied dissatisfied
Opportunity to give suggestions
Acceptance of your suggestions in
decision making
D) The Authorities take ‘strong’ punitive action against

Indiscipline Safety violation Loss of revenue

Other reason (Specify) All of these

11. A) Have you encountered the fury of passengers while discharging your duties?

Yes No
If yes, which of the following did you experience?
Always Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never
Physical assault,
Verbal abuse
B) Attitude of the organization in dealing such situations.

Immediate response by RPF/GRP protection Moral support

measure to avoid the occurrence Poor response No response

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V. TURNAROUND RELATED FACTORS

12. Do you agree that Indian Railways have undergone a turnaround in its performance
during 2004 to 2008? Yes No
If yes, rate your opinion as 1,2,3,4 regarding reason for turnaround

At the cost of employees Boom in economy

Lalu’s leadership and strategies Changes in accounting practices

13. Rank your opinion as 1,2,3,4 up to Question No: (D) regarding the impact of
turnaround measures.

Increased work load Reduction in employees’ strength

Health hazards due to risk & stress Bonus and incentives Others
A. Increase in work load is due to

Increased traffic Extended duty hours

Safety measures New strategies

B. Reduction in employees’ strength is due to

Advancement in IT and Communication Unfilled vacancies

Out sourcing Modernisation of equipments and assets

C. Cause for increase in risk and stress

Lack of proper rest and leave Number of night duties Lack of supervision

Reluctance to adopt modern technology in LC gates Indiscipline among staff

D. Reasons for health hazards

Additional work load in relation to new strategies Usual nature of the job

Risk and stress Lack of basic amenities at work place

14 .Whether safety is affected due to the revenue increasing strategies adopted by IR?

Yes No
If so, safety aspect is affected in (Please rank your opinion)

Track maintenance Rolling stock maintenance

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Operating staff workload Others

15. Result of turnaround
Whether the turnaround Strongly No Strongly
Agree Disagree
resulted in increase in agree opinion disagree
Bonus and incentives
Revenue earnings of railways
Repairs and maintenance.
Improvement in quality of services
Line capacity
Accidents
Punctuality
VI ATTTIUDE OF PASSENGERS TO EMPLOYEES AND PASSENGER FACILITIES
16. Do you feel any improvement in the attitude of passengers towards employees?

Yes No
If yes, rate your opinion in the following:
Put Tick in the appropriate
Excellent Satisfactory Good Fair Poor
column
Observing cleanliness
Co-operation with employees
17. Basic passenger amenities
at stations/trains.
18.Modern amenities:
Touch-screen facility
Efficiency of Telephone Enquiry
System No.139
19.Fare and number of trains Very high High Moderate Low Very Low
Ticket fare for all classes
No. of trains in your section
20. What is the most important thing to focus on to improve your satisfaction?
21. Please give suggestions in any of the above mentioned facts.

Turnaround in Indian Railways- A Study with Special Reference to Southern Railway ix

Appendix

 x Turnaround in Indian Railways- A Study with Special Reference to Southern Railway 

 Appendix

Route Map of Southern Railway with Adjoining Railways

Turnaround in Indian Railways- A Study with Special Reference to Southern Railway xi