Indian Railway Commercial Department PDF

1/27/25, 8:33 PM CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Department 101 CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT...

1/27/25, 8:33 PM CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Department 101 CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Department 101. The Commercial Department is responsible for the marketing & sale of the transportation provided by a railway, for creating and developing traffic, for securing and maintaining friendly relations with the travelling and trading public and for cultivating good public relations generally. The fixing of rates, fares and other charges and the correct collection, accountal and remittance of traffic receipts are also among its functions. Chief Commercial Manager 102. The Chief Commercial Manager, as Head of the Commercial Department, is responsible to the General Manager for the efficient working of the Commercial Department. He is assisted by officers in different grades at the Head Quarter Office and in the Divisions including Area Officers where provided. Powers of the General Manager in Commercial Matters 103. The powers of the General Managers in commercial matters are detailed in Appendix I. 104. Subject to the provisions of this code, the powers of the Chief Commercial Manager are such as may be delegated to him by the General Manager. 105. Similarly, subject to the provisions of this Code, these powers may be re-delegated by the Chief Commercial Manager to the authorities subordinate to him. Subjects dealt with in the Commercial Department 106. A list of the main subjects dealt with in the Commercial Department is given in Appendix II. The Headquarters Office 107. The important matters dealt with in the Headquarters Office of the Commercial Department are:— (a) Rates and fares; (b) Claims for refund and for compensation; (c) Prevention of Claims; (d) Marketing & Sales; (e) Passenger amenities; (f) Inter-model co-ordination; (g) Traffic Surveys; (h) Research and Development; (i) Catering and Vending; (j) Ticket checking; (k) Commercial Statistics; (l) Computerisation of Reservation; (m) Commercial advertising and publicity. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRCTCD/TrafficCommericalDepartmentCh1_data.htm#101. 1/4 1/27/25, 8:33 PM CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Department 101 Marketing & Sales 108. The main functions of Marketing & Sales Organisation on the Railways are. (a) to explore new areas for developing new streams of traffic and to improve the quality of service provided to traders by maintaining close liaison with them and to ascertain and solve their problems in connection with expeditious transportation of their goods. (b) to plan and provide inter-modal services combining the advantages of Rail & Road Transport like Freight Forwarder Service. Container Service and Quick Transit/Speed link Services. (c) to take up measures to arrest road competition and to have coordination between Rail and Road Transport. Public Relations 109. The Public Relations Organisation of the Railways would be under the control of a Public Relations Officer whose main functions are :— (a) to give wide publicity to the various measures adopted to improve passenger services and facilities provided to the trading public; (b) to convey to the various departmental officers concerned public suggestions and grievances: (c) to correct misstatements made in the Press: (d) to educate railway staff to be alive to their duties and responsibilities as public servants, especially in the matter of courtesy to the public. (e) to endeavour to educate the travelling public in the rules of health, hygiene and courtesy, and co-operate with the railway in their measures for combating anti-social practices like ticketless travel begging and un-authorized hawking and causing damage to railway property. Divisional Commercial Manager/Area Manager 110. The Divisional Commercial Manager/Area Manager is responsible for the efficient conduct of commercial work over his Division/Area. He must ensure that reasonable facilities exist at various stations over his Division/Area for receiving, booking, forwarding and delivering of all descriptions of traffic; that the Commercial staff under his charge are prompt, civil and courteous in their dealings with the public and comply with the various rules and regulations laid down for the conduct of their work; that the various Tariffs, Rate Advices, Rate Tables, Distance Tables. Priority Registers etc. are available at stations, and that Fare Lists and other notices are suitably displayed on the Notice Boards. He must also arrange for periodical inspection of Stations, Booking and Reservation Offices, Parcels Goods Offices. Out Agencies. City Booking Offices and other ancillary services and catering and vending arrangements provided and on stations and op trains. Commercial Staff 111. Rules and regulations for the proper discharge of their duties by the commercial staff are laid down in detail in the Indian Railway Commercial Manual. Railway Administrations must ensure that commercial staff are properly trained in their duties and responsibilities: they must also ensure proper direction and control of the commercial staff. The commercial staff are by the nature of their duties, thrown into very close contact with the travelling public. and while mindful of the financial interests of the railway, they have ever to be on the alert to meet the changing needs and demands of the latter. The closest co- operation between the rank and file of the department scattered over hundreds of stations and the supervisory staff of subordinates and officers is, therefore, called for. The behaviour of the commercial staff should always be correct so as to ensure that the reputation of the railways is maintained at a high level. The following rules must be observed :— https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRCTCD/TrafficCommericalDepartmentCh1_data.htm#101. 2/4 1/27/25, 8:33 PM CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Department 101 (a) the conduct of all railway servants should be prompt, civil and obliging; (b) every railway servant should afford all possible facilities and be careful to give correct information to the public; (c) railway servants are strictly forbidden to ask for or accept from the public any illegal gratification even if offered voluntarily. Indian Railway Conference Association (I.R.C.A.) 112. The Indian Railway Conference Association is an Association of Railway Administrations in this country and inter alia is responsible for framing rules for the interchange of traffic between different railways in India and also between railways in India and railways in Bangladesh/Pakistan. The Fundamental Rules and General Constitution etc. of the Association are contained in Conference Rules, Part I issued by the Association's Office. Functions of the I. R. C. A. 113. The more important functions of the I. R. C. A., so far as the Commercial Department is concerned, are as follows:— (i) To issue the following Tariffs and Publications and the Correction Slips thereto; (a) Conference Rules, Part II, containing Rules for the Interchange of Rolling-Stock and Traffic between Indian Railways; (b) Fundamental and Subsidiary Rules for the Interchange of Traffic between India and Pakistan/ Bangladesh; (c) Alphabetical List of Railway Stations in India; (d) Goods Tariff containing General Classification of Goods and General Rules for Acceptance, Carriage and Delivery of Goods, applicable over Indian Railways; (e) Goods Rate Tables. (f) Pamphlet showing goods arranged according to classes etc. (g) Coaching Tariff containing General Rules for the conveyance of passengers and the rules, rates and conditions for the conveyance by trains carrying passengers, of other traffic such as luggage, parcels, animals etc. applicable over Indian Railways; (h) Coaching Tariffs containing Passenger Fare Table, Rates for Parcels and Rate Tables for certain descriptions of Coaching Traffic. (i) Pamphlet showing Railway Travel Concessions to students and others; (j) Military Tariff containing Rules, Rates and Conditions for the conveyance by Railway of Traffic for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, applicable over Indian Railways; (k) Red Tariff containing Rules and Rates for the conveyance by rail of Explosives and other Dangerous Goods applicable over Indian Railways; (l) Railway Map of India; (m) Railway Telegraph Code for use on Indian Railways; (n) 'Trains at a Glance' time table. (ii) To allot Code initials for Railway station names in India. (iii) To furnish information to Railway Administrations regarding movement of wagons from one Zonal railway to the other and also regarding passage of wagons through certain important stations over individual railways to facilitate the tracing of wagons in cases of https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRCTCD/TrafficCommericalDepartmentCh1_data.htm#101. 3/4 1/27/25, 8:33 PM CHAPTER I ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Department 101 missing consignments. Commercial Committee of the Indian Railway Conference Association 114. This Committee which comprises of the Chief Commercial Managers of Railways is a committee of the I. R. C. A. The functions of this Committee are as follows :— (1) to consider and recommend alterations or additions to the General Classification of Goods; Note :—In the case of additions, Railways must initially refer this matter to the Railway Board. (2) to examine and make recommendations on proposals affecting rates and conditions and all matters tending towards uniformity and simplication of the tariffs; (3) to consider and recommend alterations or additions to the General Rules appearing in Goods, Coaching, Red and Military Tariffs; (4) to act as an Arbitration Committee to determine the liability of railways for any money claim which one or more railways may have against another railway or railways arising out of claims for compensation by the public and for freight, legal or other expenses connected therewith. ****************---------------********* https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRCTCD/TrafficCommericalDepartmentCh1_data.htm#101. 4/4