SHGs to be engaged to improve amenities at rail stations

Following good response to various facilities manned by Kudumbasree

Railways are to give a greater role for Kudumbasree to enhance passenger amenities at railway stations in the State.

The decision comes in the wake of the good response to the manning of the pay-and-park facilities and the air-conditioned waiting room in various railway stations and the vegetarian refreshment room at the Chengannur railway station by Self-Help Groups (SHG) during the Sabarimala season.

The air-conditioned waiting halls at Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town are presently being manned by SHG members.

SHGs have also been engaged to manage the waiting halls at Thrissur, Kollam Junction, and Thiruvananthapuram Central railway stations. The facility at Thrissur station had already been opened for the public and would be formally commissioned soon along with the foot overbridge, escalator, and train display boards, Divisional Railway Manager Prakash Bhutani told

The Hindu . The facilities at other stations were being readied, he said.

At ₹20 an hour

The air-conditioned waiting room is available for ₹20 an hour to passengers travelling in all classes. Besides modern toilets and television sets, dedicated personnel are also available for assisting the commuters.

The space is leased out by Railways while the furniture and other amenities are being readied by Kudumbasree.

Revenue sharing

The project has been implemented on a cost-sharing basis between Kudumbasree and the Railways. The SHG will get 80% of the revenue and Railways the rest. Mr. Bhutani said the revenue-sharing model would be changed after the SHG recovered the cost for the facilities.

SHGs are engaged as part of Railways’ decision to work in close association with civil society groups to improve service quality and management. For the cash-strapped Railways, the initiative has come as a big relief to enhance the passenger amenities.