Lok Sabha Question No. 2922 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Facilities at Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: BIRENDRA KUMAR CHOUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2922 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2017

## FACILITIES AT STATIONS

- † 2922. SHRI  BIRENDRA KUMAR CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is adopting various measures to provide better facilities in the trains;
- (b) if so, the details thereof ;
- (c) whether the Government has constituted any committee in regard to providing facilities in the trains and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  quality of food and  cleanliness is improving in proportion to the pace of fare hike made in Patna Rajdhani, Sealdah Rajdhani and Howrah Rajdhani; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) & (b) : Provision of enhanced passenger amenities in train coaches is a continual endeavor of the Indian Railways.

## Some of the policy decisions taken in this regard are:

1. Provision of cushioned seats in General Second class coaches.
2. Provision of bottle holder and snack table in Non-AC Sleeper Class coaches.
3. Provision of dust bins in Non-AC coaches.
4. Provision of mugs with chain in Non-AC coaches.
5. Provision of Health Faucets in AC as well as Non-AC Sleeper class coaches, etc.

Besides, new trains having better passenger amenities, such as Tejas, Humsafar  and  Antyodaya  have  already  been  introduced.  It  has  also been  decided  to  carry  out  the  work  of  upgradation  of  the  coach interiors  and  exteriors  and  to  provide  additional  amenities  in  the identified  coaches,  that  have  a  certain  balance  residual  life.  The upgradation of coaches would result in an improvement in the overall ambience and furnishing and enhanced passenger comfort. It has been decided to carry out the work in a phased manner depending upon the availability of capacities and funds.

- (c) No, Madam.

(d) & (e) :  Cleaning of coaches including toilets is done at both ends in all  trains.  Some  of  the  major  initiatives  taken  by  Indian  Railways towards improvement of cleanliness in trains are as follows:-

- (i) Cleaning of coaches of trains at both ends including mechanized cleaning.
- (ii) On  Board  House  Keeping  Service  (OBHS)  has  been  provided  in nearly 900 trains including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and other important long  distance  Mail/Express  trains  for  cleaning  of  coach  toilets, doorways,  aisles  and  passenger  compartments  during  the  run  of the trains.
- (iii) 'Clean  My  Coach'  service  is  provided  on  demand  in  nearly  880 important Superfast/ Mail/Express long distance trains having 'On Board Housekeeping Service'.
- (iv) Clean  Train  Station  (CTS)  scheme  has  also  been  prescribed  for limited mechanized cleaning attention to identified trains including  cleaning  of  toilets  during  their  scheduled  stoppages enroute at nominated  stations. 40 Clean Train Stations are presently working.

In its endeavour to provide quality and hygienic food to the passengers,  Indian  Railways  have  developed  and  operationalized  an institutionalized  mechanism  for  monitoring  of  quality  and  hygiene  of catering  services  through  regular  inspections  at  various  levels  to address catering complaints. Further, to improve the standard of food being provided to passengers in trains, new Catering Policy has been issued on 27 th February, 2017  wherein  inter-alia Indian  Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has been mandated to carry out the unbundling by creating a distinction primarily between food preparation and food distribution. In order to upgrade quality of food  preparation,  IRCTC  is  to  set  up  new  kitchens  and  upgrade existing ones. Further, a pilot project on optional catering service will be  provided  to  passengers  booking  tickets  from  01.08.2017  onwards for  the  journeys  to  commence  on  01.08.2017  and  onwards  shall  be introduced on 31 Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto under the management of IRCTC  w.e.f.  01.08.2017.  This  scheme  shall  be  implemented  for  an initial  period  of  6  months  subject  to  mid-term  review  of  the  scheme after 3 months.

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