In an effort to maximise revenue through optimal utilisation of train capacity in reserved mail express trains, the Indian Railways has introduced the “Ideal Train Profile”. The goal of this profile is to analyse the demand pattern on all trains regularly.
The Ideal Train Profile is essentially an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program designed to fix one of the most perennial issues associated with train travel in India - the waiting list. The AI module was designed and developed by an in-house team headed up by R Gopalakrishnan of the Centre of Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
It is a seat capacity optimisation that is carried out because the number of combinations of the ticket- class on a single train date of the journey may exceed 5,000. A successful trial of the module was carried out and concluded by the Indian Railways earlier this year.
As per railway ministry officials, the demand pattern for accommodation is not necessarily on an end-to-end basis. Instead, the demand pattern varies on different trains. It is determined by factors such as class of accommodation, origin-destination pairs, timings, and availability of alternate trains and modes of transportation.
This ensures the allocation of accommodation quotas based on catering to the demand and requirements of different origin-destination pairs. The Indian Railways has traditionally done this by analysing the historic data of a particular train or similar plying a particular route.
Using the Ideal Train Profile will provide a decision support tool to the railway administrators in the passenger profile cells of different zonal railways. This measure is meant to speed up the speed distribution analytics of a train. The zonal railways will be able to address the changing mix of demands depending on seasons, holidays, etc., by conducting periodic reviews of the same thanks to the Ideal Train Profile.
The Pilot Project was Inaugurated on seven zonal railways - Eastern, Western, West Central, Northern, Southern, and South Central Railways. The Pilot Project has thus far been implemented in more than 200 trains in Indian Railways. Its utility is also expected to aid in the enhancement of the availability of confirmed seats and increase train occupancy by up to 5%.
Ideal Train Profile will enhance the passengers’ experience for sure, but our Trip Assurance feature has already started to enhance our passengers’ overall train travelling experience. We understood the problems that passengers face while booking their train tickets, which is why we came up with this solution. If a passenger opts for Trip Assurance while booking their train ticket with us, and it remains waitlisted after the chart preparation, we will make their journey possible by giving them a confirmed flight ticket. Follow the link to know more about Trip Assurance: Trip Assurance: The Idea, Route, and Everything Else You Need to Know
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