Lok Sabha Question No. 1845 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: Drinking Water Facilities
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: T.N. Prathapan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1845 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.07.2019

## DRINKING WATER FACILITIES

1845. SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Ministry to provide drinking water facilities and to set up toilets at Thrissur railway station in Kerala;
- (b) the steps taken by the Ministry to set up parking facilities at this station;
- (c) whether the Government is ready to promote more bharat darshan trains to connect the cultural and tourist centres of Thrissur in Kerala to other parts of the country keeping in view the fact that Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala; and
- (d) if so, the details in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.1845  BY  SHRI  T.N.  PRATHAPAN  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  03.07.2019  REGARDING  DRINKING

WATER FACILITIES

(a) and (b) Thrissur is an 'NSG-2' category station on Ernakulam Shornaur  section  of  Trivandrum  Division  of  Southern  Railway. This  station  has  been  provided  with  all  Essential  Amenities  as per norms i.e., 60 drinking water taps and 27 toilets are available at  Thrissur  Railway  Staton.  The  source  of  drinking  water  to  the Station is from Kerala Water Authority and  also from one Railway's open line well. In addition, new borewell has also been provided recently. Additional open well is  being planned to meet shortage in summer also.

Further,  automatic  water  vending  machine  by  Indian  Railway Catering  and  Tourism  Corporation  (IRCTC)  is  sanctioned  on Platform No.1, 2 & 3 (1 number on each platform) of which one on Platform  No.2  has  been  commissioned.  Provision  of  additional toilets (3 Numbers) on Platform No.2 has been sanctioned.

Parking area of 3375 square metre is available on main entry side and 3140 square metre of Parking area available on second entry totaling  to  6151  square  metre  of  parking  area  in  entire  Thrissur Railway Station. The existing arrangement of parking is adequate for the level of traffic dealt at this station for the present.

(c)  &  (d):  Indian  Railways,  in  collaboration  of  Indian  Railway Catering  and  Tourism  Corporation  Ltd  (IRCTC), is  operating Bharat Darshan Trains since the year 2005 with different itineraries  based  on  market  demand,  popularity  and  operational feasibility. In the past one year Bharat Darshan trains have been operated  covering  Guruvayur  and  Thrissur  stations  namely  (1) Itinerary  No.  WZBD217  covering  Rajkot  Rameshwaram-MaduraiKannyakumari-Trivendrum-Guruvayur-Tirupati-Mysore-Rajkot  from 02.01.2018  to  13.01.2018,  (2)  Itinerary  No.SCZBD14  covering Secundrabad-Tiruchirapalli-Thajavur-Rameswaram-MaduraiKanyakumari-Trivendrum-Guruvayur-Tirupati-Secunderabad,  from 04.05.2018  to  12.05.2018,  (3)  Itinerary  No.SCZBD15  covering Secunderabad-Mysore-Ooty-Thrissur-Cochin-KanyakumariTrivendrum-Tirupati-Secunderabad from 28.05.2018 to 05.06.2018,  and  (4)  Itinerary  No.  SZD341B  covering  MaduraiGuruvayur-Kodungalur-Chotanikara-Alleppey-Cochin-AthirapallyMadurai from 22.01.2019 to 27.01.2019. Introduction of similar packages is an ongoing process depending upon the response of passengers.

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