Lok Sabha Question No. 1506 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Insufficient Platforms at Saharanpur Railway Station
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1506

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

## INSUFFICIENT PLATFORMS AT SAHARANPUR RAILWAY STATION

- † 1506.  SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government is aware of the problems being faced by the people due to inadequate number of platforms at Saharanpur Railway Station;
- (b)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  long  distance  trains  are  continually detained at the outer signals for longer duration because of inadequate number of platforms at the stations;
- (c)   if so, the details thereof;
- (d)    whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  the  number  of platforms  at  the  said  Railway  Station  under  Amrit  Bharat  Station Scheme; and
- (e)   if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (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.  1506  BY SHRI IMRAN  MASOOD  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 31.07.2024 REGARDING INSUFFICIENT PLATFORMS AT SAHARANPUR RAILWAY STATION.

(a) to (c): At present, 6 platforms are available for passengers which are adequate for present level of passenger traffic handled at this station. (d) & (e):  Improvement in Customer Amenities, including platforms at  stations  on  Indian  Railways  is  a  continuous  and  on-going process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement,  feasibility,  inter-se  priority  and  availability  of  funds etc.

Ministry  of  Railways  has  launched  'Amrit  Bharat  Station Scheme' for development of Railway stations on Indian Railways. This  scheme  envisages  development  of  stations  on  a  continuous basis with a long-term approach.

It involves preparation of Master Plans and their implementation in phases to improve the amenities at the stations like  improvement  of  station  access,  circulating  areas,  waiting halls,  toilets,  lift/escalators  as  necessary,  platform  surfacing  and cover  over platform, cleanliness, free Wi-Fi, kiosks  for local products  through  schemes  like  'One  Station  One  Product',  better passenger  information  systems,  Executive  Lounges,  nominated spaces  for  business  meetings,  landscaping  etc.  keeping  in  view the necessity at each station.

The scheme also envisages improvement of building, integrating  the  station  with  both  sides  of  the  city,  multimodal integration, amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks etc., as  per  necessity,  phasing  and  feasibility  and  creation  of  city centres at the station in the long term. So far 1324 stations have been identified under this scheme including Saharanpur Railway station. Tenders have been awarded for  redevelopment  of  Saharanpur  Railway  station  and  work  has started. Further,  Development/redevelopment/upgradation  of  Railway Stations  is  complex  in  nature  involving  safety  of  passengers  & trains  and  requires  various  statutory  clearances  such  as  fire clearance,  heritage, tree cutting, air-port  clearance  etc.  The progress also gets affected due to brown field related challenges such as shifting of utilities, (involving water/sewage lines, optical fibre cables, gas pipe lines, power/signal cables etc.,) infringements,  operation  of  trains  without  hindering  passenger movement,  speed  restrictions  due  to  works  carried  out  in  close proximity of high voltage power lines etc. and these factors affect the completion time. Therefore, no time frame can be indicated at this stage.

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