Lok Sabha Question No. 2939 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-11
Subject: Basic Amenities
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar, Kani K. Navas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2939 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2020

## BASIC AMENITIES

2939. SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR: SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  modernise  more number of platforms  to  facilitate  the  passengers  with  basic  amenities and requirements;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the number of projects for modernisation of railway platforms which are in the pipeline in various railway stations of the country especially in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (d): Upgradation/modernization of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and on-going process. Presently, Railway stations are upgraded/modernized under 'Adarsh' Station Scheme based on identified need of providing better enhanced passenger amenities at stations.

In the state of Tamil Nadu, 49 stations have been identified under Adarsh  Station  Scheme  and  out  of  these  44  stations  have  been upgraded/developed under this scheme. In the state of Maharashtra, 108 stations  have  been  identified  under  Adarsh  Station  Scheme.  Against this, 106 stations have been upgraded/developed and remaining stations are planned to be developed by 2020-21. In  Tamil  Nadu  and  Maharashtra,  under  soft-upgradation  scheme, various  passenger  amenities  which,  inter-alia,  include  improvement  to façade of the station building, retiring room, waiting room (with bathing facilities),  separate  waiting  room  for  ladies,  landscaping  of  circulating area, earmarked parking, signages, Pay & Use toilets, Foot Over Bridge, ramps at entry to station etc. are provided at these Railway stations as per the respective category of the station depending upon need, volume of passenger traffic and inter-se priority, subject to availability of funds. In the financial year 2018-19, 05 stations of Maharashtra namely Lonawala, Sholapur, Igatpuri, Wardha and Pune and 04 stations in Tamil Nadu namely Madurai,  Chennai  Egmore,  Tiruchirapalli  and  Salem  have

been substantially upgraded.

Considering the safety aspects, Ministry of Railways in April` 2018 have revised the norms of Minimum Essential Amenities and decided to provide with High Level Platforms irrespective of its category of station on Broad Gauge which was not the case earlier, as only erstwhile 'A1', 'A'  &  'C'  category  stations  were  provided  with  High  Level  platforms. However,  priority  will  be  accorded  to  higher  category  of  station  over lower category of station while sanctioning and executing the work of raising  the  height  of  platforms  and  henceforth  no  work  of  raising  the platform to medium level shall be taken up. All existing sanctioned work for raising the height of platforms from rail level/ low level shall be made to  high  level.  In  the  financial  year  2018-19,  Ministry  of  Railways  have also  sanctioned  umbrella  works  of ` 6200/-  crore  for  'Provision  of  Foot over  Bridges  and/or  High  level  Platforms  at  stations'  as  a  safety measure.

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