Lok Sabha Question No. 526 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-19
Subject: Facilities at Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KAMLA DEVI PATLE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.526 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2017

## FACILITIES AT STATIONS

†526.  SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Railways is satisfied with the level of passenger facilities available  at  various  railway  stations  of  the  country  particularly  of those stations which are located in small cities/towns;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Railways  has  prepared  any  action  plan  to  improve  the passenger facilities available at railway stations of the country;
- (d) if so, the efforts made by the Government in this direction particularly in Chhattisgarh during the last three years and the current year; and
- (e) the mechanism in place for monitoring and supervising the facilities available  at  various  railway  stations  of  the  country  and  for  their maintenance?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 526 BY SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 19.07.2017 REGARDING FACILITIES AT STATIONS

(a)  & (b): Improvement to Passenger amenities on Indian Railways (IR) is a continuous process. Present day passengers expect visible and qualitative improvement in public utilities and amenities provided at the Stations. With a view  to  meeting  the  expectations  of  the  passengers,  Indian  Railways  is making all out effort to provide improved facilities at the stations including those  located  in  small  cities/towns.  Indian  Railways  has  more  than  8000 Stations.  It  has  always  been  the  endeavour  of  the  Railways  to  provide adequate amenities to the passengers at the stations. Certain amenities are provided  at  the  time  of  construction  of  new  stations  based  on  anticipated volume of  traffic.  Amenities  are  further  augmented  from  time  to  time  with growth  in  passenger  traffic  handled  at  stations,  based  on  the  felt  need, expectations of the travelling public and availability of funds.

In the recent past Indian Railways has taken various steps to improve the services and facilitate the passengers, some of which are given below.

## At stations:

- i. Lifts  and  Escalators  at  the  stations  for  facilitating  movement  across platforms.
- ii. Battery Operated Vehicles for carrying passengers before/after the train journey, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
- iii. Yatri Mitra Sewa for passengers requiring wheel-chair assistance.
- iv. Well appointed Retiring Rooms, Waiting Halls and Executive Lounges to relax for passengers during transit.
5. v.
6. Wi-fi facility at 127 important stations on IR.

## In Reservations and travel:

- i. Introduction  of  the  Alternate  Train  Accommodation  Scheme  known  as 'VIKALP'  to  give  option  to  waitlisted  passengers  to  shift  to  alternate train having vacant accommodation.
- ii. Provision of facility to physically handicapped persons to book reserved tickets online.
- iii. Introduction  of  paperless  unreserved  ticket  booking  through  mobile phone.
- iv. Automatic refund of confirmed/ Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC)/e-tickets on cancellation of trains.
- v. Enhancement  of  Senior  Citizen  Quota  as  well  as  quota  earmarked  for physically handicapped persons.
- vi. Making provision in the system for automatic preparation of reservation charts at least four hours before the scheduled departure of train.
- vii. Provision of facility to book available accommodation after preparation of  first  reservation  chart  through  internet  as  well  as  across  any computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter upto preparation of second reservation chart.
- viii. Acceptance  of all International Credit/Debit cards for booking of e-tickets  through  Indian  Railway  Catering  and  Tourism  Corporation ( IRCTC ) website.
- ix. The  passengers  having  confirmed/RAC/Waitlisted  PRS  counter  tickets may  cancel  the  same  through  IRCTC  website  (www.irctc.co.in)  or through  139  within  the  prescribed  time  limit  and  the  refund  amount maybe collected across PRS counter on surrendering the original ticket.
- x. In  order  to  facilitate  cancellation  of  PRS  counter  tickets  at  relatively smaller  stations,  one  of  the  Unreserved  Ticketing  System(  UTS)  cum PRS  counters  (wherever  PRS  booking  facility  is  available)  has  been earmarked  for  granting refund  beyond  the  working  hours  of  PRS counters/Current  counters.  This  facility  is  available  in  respect  of  PRS counter  tickets  for  those  trains  whose  scheduled  departure  time  is within the next 24 hours.
- xi. Establishment  of  Yatri  Ticket  Suvidha  Kendras  for  issuing  of  tickets through  public  private  partnership  for  establishment  and  operation  of
12. computerised  Passenger  Reservation  System  (PRS)-cum  Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) terminals. xii. Facility  for  booking  unreserved  ticket  including  platforms  tickets  and Season Tickets through mobile phone in the 6 suburban sections of IR in Kolkata,  Mumbai,  Chennai,  Secunderabad  and  in  Delhi  -  Palwal  and Delhi-Ghaziabad sections of Northern Railway xiii. Commencement of concierge services with facility for online booking of wheelchairs through IRCTC website at New Delhi and 23 other stations. xiv. Provision of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines to facilitate purchase of unreserved journey tickets. xv. Extension of e-ticketing facility to foreign debit/credit cards for foreign tourists and NRIs. Commissioning of online  booking  of  retiring  room  at  over  488  Railway
- xvi. stations.

(c) & (d): Modernisation/ upgradation of passenger amenities at railway station in Indian Railways is a continuous and on-going process. At present, upgradation of station is being undertaken under Adarsh Station scheme. 201 stations  including  5  stations  in  Chhattisgarh  have  been  identified  under  this Scheme during the last three years and current year.

(e): Regular inspections are conducted by Officers, Service Improvement Group (SIG), Passenger Amenities Committee (PAC) & Passenger Services Committee (PSC)  to  monitor  the  availability  and  maintenance  of  passenger  facilities  at stations and remedial measures are taken as and when deficiencies are noted.

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