14. I am very happy to announce the construction of Multi-functional Complexes in station premises for providing rail users facilities like shopping, food stalls and restaurants, book stalls, PCO/STD/ISD/Fax booths, medicine & variety stores, budget hotels, underground parking etc. It is proposed to take up development of these Multi-functional Complexes in different parts of the country at 50 railway stations serving places of pilgrimage, industry and tourist interest in this year. Responsibility for development of these facilities will be entrusted to IRCON and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA).
A list of 49 identified stations is:
Alipurduar, Allahabad, Anandpur Sahib, Banspani, Bikaner, Bilaspur, Cuttack,
Darjeeling, Dehradun, Digha, Durg, Ernakulam, Gandhidham, Ganga Sagar, Ghatsila, Gwalior, Hajur Sahib, Hubli, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jammu Tawi, Jasidih, Jhansi, Jodhpur, Kanniyakumari, Kathgodam, Katra, Khajuraho, Madurai, Manmad, Mysore, Nanded, Nasik, Palakkad, Parasnath, Raebareily, Raipur, Rajgir, Rameshwaram, Ranchi, Shirdi, Silchar, Tarapith, Tiruchirapalli, Udaipur, Ujjain, Vadodara, and Visakhapatnam.
Clean trains and Stations
15. During current year we will expand On Board House Keeping Scheme (OBHS) to cover 200 additional pairs of trains and also take up improved linen management to bring about a significantly improved quality of washing, through modern mechanised automated laundries. Initially, a pilot project will be started at the metropolitan cities, like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. On its success it will be extended to other cities.
16. Railways will extend a helping hand to Physically Challenged Persons and aged persons by providing standard ramps, earmarked parking lots, specially designed coaches in each mail and express train, lifts and escalators, in a phased manner.
17. We will introduce Train Information System with automatic announcements in Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi suburban sections as is already in the process of being installed in Mumbai. Other important stations will be covered in a phased manner.
Doctor on Train.
18. We are exploring possibility to depute at least one doctor in long distance trains. Arrangements will be made to provide Ambulance services for passengers at Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar to start with.
19. Madam, for long distance passengers I am happy to inform that Railways will provide on-board infotainment services on Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and important long distance inter- city trains for a pleasurable travel experience.
20. Field trials are being conducted for introducing environment friendly green toilets. We are also planning to conduct trials on vacuum toilets similar to those used in aircraft on a few coaches.
21. Toilet facilities are not being provided in DEMU and MEMU trains when the travel time is less than 4 hours. This poses difficulties for women, children and aged persons. We are now planning to provide toilet facilities where journey is more than 2 hours. Give us a little time; we will do it as early as possible.
Ticketing and Reservation
22. Indian Railways Passenger Reservation System (PRS) now covers 800 locations with 6872 terminals. We will cover 200 new towns and cities and a further 800 new locations in cities and towns already having PRS facilities will be covered. Madam, I invite each member of both houses of Parliament to identify one PRS location of their choice and inform railways for inclusion in the list of new locations.
23. For unreserved tickets, the number of Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) terminals is being expanded from 5000 to 8000. Automatic Vending Machines would be installed at 200 large and medium sized stations. We are expanding e ticketing for ease of passengers. Cancellation of confirmed e-tickets after preparation of charts is being further simplified. Efforts are on to provide SMS update on waitlisted tickets and indicate berth numbers on confirmed ticket by the end of the financial year.
“Mushkil Aasaan”
24. Madam, I think members will be very happy to know that how the facility of UTS can be reached to the “Maa Maati Manush”. Under the MoU between Railways and Department of Post, passengers can now buy computerized tickets from nearly 5000 post offices in cities and towns. Madam, this august house would be happy to know that I have decided to introduce mobile ticketing vans “Mushkil Aasaan” for issuing reserved and unreserved tickets in both urban and rural areas. Poor people who are unable to go to the stations can now purchase tickets in market places, mohallas and other busy places. In this year, we will introduce 50 such mobile vans in the country. Air conditioned double decker coaches for inter-city travel.
25. Madam the house will be happy to know that like double decker buses we are taking the novel initiative of introducing high capacity air conditioned double-decker coaches, for intercity travel. These will have superior riding quality and comfort.
Monitoring of Passenger Facilities
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