The Southern Railway is all set to make Coimbatore railway junction more disabled-friendly by installing more elevators, repairing existing ones and building toilet booths specifically meant for physically-challenged passengers.
The railways also has plans to apply for an ISO certification for the station's cleanliness and infrastructure so that a certain standard would be specified for its upkeep in the future.
Senior officials, including the recently-appointed divisional railway manager of Salem division, Hari Shankar Varma, had inspected the Coimbatore junction on Wednesday afternoon.
"The station is very clean and it is one of our highest revenue earners," said Varma. "We want to make more improvements, starting with measures to make the station more disabled-friendly. We plan to do this by installing more elevators, instead of escalators, at all the six platforms and ensuring that they function round the clock. We also plan to build toilet booths for the disabled," he further said.
The junction has been drawing flak for its platforms that were a level higher than the entrance. The platforms were earlier connected only by a set of steps and there wasn't any provision to build a ramp. However, a little over two years ago, another entrance was created through a subway, where an elevator and escalator were set up to four of the platforms. However, they often remained out of service. The divisional railway manager (DRM), meanwhile, received 15 wheelchairs and three stretchers from the Round Table area 7. "I will ensure that all these works are completed at the earliest," said the DRM.
In another development, the bhoomi puja for the renovation of Periyanaickenpalayam railway station was performed on Wednesday.
Inspecting the station, the DRM said, "I would like to see more corporates, like Lakshmi Machine Works, coming forward to sponsor the maintenance of all the seven stations between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam. They are heritage stations, but are low on revenue. As such, getting funds for their maintenance and renovation is difficult."
The DRM also promised to improve amenities in trains, especially in AC coaches, including better bed linen and pest control. "We get complaints from passengers on long distance trains like Cheran Express about inadequate bed rolls in AC coaches. We have terminated the existing contract and signed a new one. So, this should be addressed," he said, adding, "We will also ensure better pest control, so that rodents don't enter train compartments."
The railways also has plans to apply for an ISO certification for the station's cleanliness and infrastructure so that a certain standard would be specified for its upkeep in the future.
Senior officials, including the recently-appointed divisional railway manager of Salem division, Hari Shankar Varma, had inspected the Coimbatore junction on Wednesday afternoon.
"The station is very clean and it is one of our highest revenue earners," said Varma. "We want to make more improvements, starting with measures to make the station more disabled-friendly. We plan to do this by installing more elevators, instead of escalators, at all the six platforms and ensuring that they function round the clock. We also plan to build toilet booths for the disabled," he further said.
The junction has been drawing flak for its platforms that were a level higher than the entrance. The platforms were earlier connected only by a set of steps and there wasn't any provision to build a ramp. However, a little over two years ago, another entrance was created through a subway, where an elevator and escalator were set up to four of the platforms. However, they often remained out of service. The divisional railway manager (DRM), meanwhile, received 15 wheelchairs and three stretchers from the Round Table area 7. "I will ensure that all these works are completed at the earliest," said the DRM.
In another development, the bhoomi puja for the renovation of Periyanaickenpalayam railway station was performed on Wednesday.
Inspecting the station, the DRM said, "I would like to see more corporates, like Lakshmi Machine Works, coming forward to sponsor the maintenance of all the seven stations between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam. They are heritage stations, but are low on revenue. As such, getting funds for their maintenance and renovation is difficult."
The DRM also promised to improve amenities in trains, especially in AC coaches, including better bed linen and pest control. "We get complaints from passengers on long distance trains like Cheran Express about inadequate bed rolls in AC coaches. We have terminated the existing contract and signed a new one. So, this should be addressed," he said, adding, "We will also ensure better pest control, so that rodents don't enter train compartments."