Providing comfortable ride to people railways top priority: Vaishnaw

New Delhi, Apr 3: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Friday chaired a review meeting with railway officials across the country at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Union Minister emphasized that providing a good travel experience to the poor and middle class remains the top priority of Indian Railways. He called upon all officials to work collectively towards this goal. Vaishnaw also congratulated the entire Railway family for their commendable performance last year. He highlighted that the historic reduction in rail accidents and record freight loading have significantly improved the image of Indian Railways across the country. He also appreciated the effective operation of a large number of special trains during festivals, which helped meet the increased demand for travel.
Highlighting the importance of passenger experience, the Union Minister stated that railway stations are the face of Indian Railways before the public and must be kept clean and well-maintained. He urged officials to work with full dedication to ensure cleanliness and improved passenger amenities at all stations. Referring to the record allocation for railway modernization in the past decade, he emphasized that officials must ensure optimal utilization of funds to transform railway stations and enhance passenger facilities.
The Union Minister stressed that crowd management during peak periods, especially festivals, should ensure that passengers can reach platforms and board trains smoothly and without inconvenience. He directed officials to prioritise the use of allocated funds for improving passenger convenience and accessibility.
The issue of pending land acquisition for ongoing railway projects was also discussed. Vaishnaw directed officials to expedite the process and, if required, seek the expertise of experienced retired officers of state revenue and forest departments to overcome bottlenecks.
Addressing the sensitive issue related to people living near railway tracks, the Union Minister emphasized that livelihoods must not be adversely affected. He directed railway officials to adopt a humane and sensitive approach in resolving such matters, in coordination with state governments. He noted that this is a significant issue in many urban areas and requires timely and compassionate resolution.
The meeting also reviewed the earlier decision regarding construction of rail underpasses (Puliyas). It was decided that, wherever feasible, convenient and accessible underpasses should be prioritised over foot overbridges for crossing railway tracks, both within station premises and outside. The Minister noted that underpasses are more user-friendly and are likely to be used more frequently by the public.
It was further decided to undertake pilot projects in different parts of the country to construct such underpasses. These will be designed to facilitate movement not only for pedestrians but also for cycles, scooters and motorcycles, and in some cases, wider structures will allow movement of tractors and other vehicles. Designs will be tailored to meet the requirements of both urban and rural areas.
The Union Railway Minister also appreciated the performance of zones in ensuring punctual train operations. He congratulated zones that have maintained high levels of punctuality and particularly appreciated those that have improved their performance by ensuring more than 85% punctuality despite operational challenges.
Vaishnaw reiterated that with sustained efforts, efficient planning and a passenger-centric approach, Indian Railways will continue to enhance safety, service quality and overall travel experience for passengers across the country.