Lok Sabha Question No. 563 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: Upgradation of Passenger Amenities at Kasaragod Railway Station
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 563 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025

## UPGRADATION OF PASSENGER AMENITIES AT KASARAGOD RAILWAY STATION

563.  SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  inadequate  waiting  areas, sanitation, and accessibility facilities at Kasaragod station and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to approve new shelters, improved platforms, PA systems, and better lighting under AMRUT/stationredevelopment initiatives and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  the  status  of  sanctioned  works  and  time  for  its  completion,  yearwise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (c)  Kasargod  station  has  been  identified  for  development  under Amrit  Bharat  Station  Scheme.  Development  works  at  the  station  have been  taken  up  in  good  pace.  The  works  of  entrance  porch,  booking window,  platform  raising  and  platform  surfacing  of  platform  no.  1  and 2/3,  platform  shelter,  improvement  of  station  building,  waiting  halls,

toilets,  circulating  area,  parking  area,  coach  indication  board,  train indication board, reserved lounge and water booths have been completed. The works of seating arrangement, lifts,  escalator, retiring room, second entry parking and 6 m Foot Over Bridge have been taken up.

Further  development  /  redevelopment  /  upgradation  /  modernisation  of stations  on  Indian  Railways  is  a  continuous  and  ongoing  process  and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to interse  priority  and  availability  of  funds.  The  priority  for  development  / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations is accorded to higher category of station over lower category of station while sanctioning and executing the works.

Ministry  of  Railways  has  launched  Amrit  Bharat  Station  Scheme  for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.

The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations. The master planning includes:

- Improvement of access to station and circulating areas
- Integration of station with both sides of city
- Improvement of station building
- Improvement  of  waiting  halls,  toilets,  sitting  arrangement,  water booths
- Provision  of  wider  foot  over  bridge/air  concourse  commensurate with passenger traffic
- Provision of lift/escalators/ramp
- Improvement /Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms
- Provision  of  kiosks  for  local  products  through  schemes  like  'One Station One Product'
- Parking areas, Multimodal integration
- Amenities for Divyangjans
- Better passenger information systems
- Provision  of  executive  lounges,  nominated  spaces  for  business meetings, landscaping, etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station.

The scheme  also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term. So far, 1337 stations have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, out of which 35 stations are located in the state of Kerala. The names of stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in the state of Keralaare as following:

| State   |   No. of Stations | Name of Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Kerala  |                35 | Alappuzha, Angadippuram, Angamali For Kaladi, Chalakudi, Changanassery, Chengannur, Chirayinkeezh, Ernakulam, Ernakulam Town, Ettumanur, Ferok, Guruvayur, Kannur, Kasargod, Kayankulam Jn, Kollam Jn, Kozhikode, Kuttippuram, Mavelikara, Neyyattinkara, Nilambur Road, Ottappalam, Parappanangadi, Payyanur, Punalur, |

| Shoranur Jn., Thalassery, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Thrisur, Tirur, Tiruvalla, Tripunithura, Vadakara, Varkala Shivagiri, Wadakancheri   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

- Development  works  at  railway  stations  under  Amrit  Bharat  Station Scheme in the state of Kerala have been taken up at a good pace. Till now, phase-I works of 02 stations (Chirayinkeezh, Vadakara) in the state of  Kerala  have  been  completed  under  this  scheme.The works at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of above stations is as given below: · Shoranur  Junction  station:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station building, platform shelter, platform surfacing, toilet, new AC waiting hall, parking area, lift and 6 m Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up. · Wadakkanchery  station:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station building, platform shelter, platform surface, waiting hall, toilet, circulating  area  and  new  portico  have  been  completed.  The  finishing works have been taken up. · Kuttippuram station: The works of improvement to station building, platform shelters, platform surfacing, waiting hall, toilet, second entry, improvement  of  circulating  area  and  Foot  Over  Bridge  have  been completed. The finishing works have been taken up. Changanassery  station:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station building,  platform  surface,  entrance  arch,  improvement  of  circulating area and parking area have been completed. The finishing works have
- been taken up.

· Chalakudistation:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station  building, platform  shelter,  platform  surface,  waiting  hall,  toilet,  circulating  area and parking area have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.

Indian Railways is committed to make its railway stations accessible for Persons  with  Disabilities  (Divyangjans)  and  passengers  with  reduced mobility  as  part  of  'Sugamya  Bharat  Mission'  or  'Accessible  India Campaign'  of  Government  of  India.  In  compliance  of  the  Rights  of Persons  with  Disabilities  Act,  2016,  'Guidelines  on  accessibility  of Indian  Railway  stations  and  facilities  at  stations  for  differently  abled persons (Divyangjans) and passengers with reduced mobility' have been circulated  and  notified  in  the  Gazette  of  India.  The  guidelines  include provisions  of  facilities  for  Divyangjans  and  passengers  with  reduced mobility such as entrance ramps, accessible parking, low height ticket counters/help booths, toilets, drinking water booths, subways/foot over bridges  with  ramps/lifts,  standard  signages  including  Braille  signages and tactile pathways for visual impairment etc.

Development /  Upgradation  /  Modernization  of  stations  including  under Amrit  Bharat  Station  Scheme  is  generally  funded  under  Plan  Head-53 'Customer Amenities'. The details of allocation of funds for development and maintenance of stations are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not Work-wise  or  Station-wise.  Passenger  amenities  are  generally  funded under Plan Head-53 'Customer Amenities'. The state of Kerala is covered under  the  jurisdiction of Southern  Railway  and  for  this zone,  an allocation of ₹ 1122 crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26, out  of  which  an  expenditure  (up  to  October,  2025)  of  ₹  686  crore  has been incurred so far. Development  /  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 brownfield 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 tracks and 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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