Just explored a new added feature from Cleartrip that allows you to search for Trains from your Gtalk. Add “cleartrip.trains@gmail.com” as a friend in your Gtalk and start searching. Unlike your normal friends “cleartrip.trains@gmail.com” is a ‘Bot’ which takes command as input, execute them and return the result back to you. Say, if you want to search for a 3-AC train from ‘Mumbai’ to ‘New Delhi’ on Mar 10. You will send a message as “Mumbai New Delhi Mar 11 3A”. This will return the list of trains with related information. Kwel!. You can send “help” for other instructions.
I see they have put a great deal of effort to make searching for Trains (in India) a pleasure experience through their website. You need to open an online account with them and start searching and booking the trains. You can customize your search and can even see the route on map. There possibly will be other website which might be providing this type of service, but they are yet to be explored.
Train Route (Punjab - Mumbai)
I’ve been using the Indian Railway official website to search and book but it seems that the private players are a step ahead to provide easy service that make sense. Here, IRCTC (read it as “Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited”) is doing the right thing to allow the other service providers/vendors to search through the reservation database. I’m waiting for a stiff competition between various online service providers in near future and I’m sure this will bring out something that is useful, more personalized, and easy for users.
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