The Carriage and Wagon Depots of Salem Railway Division at Erode and Coimbatore have received ISO: 9001:2008 Quality Certification by M/S Quest Certification.
R. Kuppan, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, handed over the ISO Certificates to Hari Shankar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Salem, at a function held at the Railway Basic Training Centre, Erode on Saturday.
These certificates were awarded by the Carriage and Wagon Depots of Southern Railway, Salem Division to Erode and Coimbatore for implementing the Quality Management System in the maintenance of railway passenger coaches.
Mr. Kuppan said the ISO Quality Certification would ensure customer satisfaction (rail passengers), continuous improvement of facilities and maintenance of quality standards.
The Railways will focus more on the quality systems.
To ensure quality and safe journey to rail passengers, he said that Indian Railways, is now encouraging such coach maintenance depots, railway stations and workshops to go for IMS (Integrated Management Systems) Certification, that will cover the Quality Management (ISO:9001), Environment Management (ISO 14001) and Occupational Health Manager (OHSAS-ISO:18001). These steps would go a long way in regaining the good will of the passengers on railways, which is most important.
Mr. Verma said that for the past six months the Mechanical Branch of Salem Division was working towards implementation of Quality Systems for getting ISO:9001 Certification. Further, steps would be taken by both Erode and Coimbatore depots to go for the remaining two certificates of IMS, viz. ISO:14001 and ISO:18001.
Mr. Verma told presspersons later that all the stations in Salem division would be made disabled friendly in consultation with NGOs.
Steps are being taken to obtain IMS certification for Coimbatore Railway Station to better the passenger service.
