Indian Railways to convert 1,500 stations into disabled friendly

September 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Railways have identified 64 stations around the country to be developed as "multi-function" stations, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said Monday. "The expert committee on railway land usage, chaired by Dr.

September 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian Railways have decided to install biometric identification system at its vital installations across the country. The project will increase the protection of major IT installations and PRS (Passenger Reservation Service) data centres in view of the threat of attacks, which could disrupt train operations and damage database.

August 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Ministry of Railways has decided to allow private parties to operate free round the clock service of battery operated cars at the platforms of major railway stations for carrying disabled and old aged passengers for boarding the trains. The policy guidelines in this connection have been sent to all the Zonal Railways.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The railways ministry has asked the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) to set up budget hotels at all major stations either directly or through the public-private partnership (PPP) route. "IRCTC follows the two packet open competitive bidding system to grant licenses.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Rail Budget for 2009-10 by voice vote after Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced some more concessions, few new rail lines and setting up of an expert committee. Replying to a marathon debate on rail budget in the Lok Sabha, Banerjee said an expert committee, headed by Amit Mitra, will prepare a blue print for business plans of railways.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday unveiled a massive plan to revamp railway stations in the country, saying that 50 stations in large cities would get world class facilities, while 50 more would have multi-functional complexes. Presenting her ministry's budget for the current fiscal in the Lok Sabha, Banerjee said: "The world class facilities in the 50 stations will be developed through innovative financing and under public private partnership mode.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - It has been dubbed a populist budget by critics but the rail budget presented Friday by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has enough goodies targeted at the ordinary rail traveller: - No increase in fares - New 'izzat' scheme for poor to travel up to 100 km for Rs.25 - Low-cost, air-conditioned 'yuva trains' for youth at Rs.299-Rs.399 - New scheme for good quality food at affordable prices - Special Trains to ferry perishable farm produce, rural craft - Promise of clean toilets, potable water at stations, trains - Tatkal scheme made more passenger-friendly, service charge cut to Rs.100 - New scheme for poor passengers to travel with 'dignity' - A doctor at your service in every long-distance train - 50 stations to be upgraded into world class facilities - 12 new non-stop trains between key stations

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - All the zones in Indian Railways have been instructed to ensure availability of 'Janata Khana'. Presenting the Railway Budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha today, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said that national and regional cuisines would be introduced in the catering by the Railways.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - A host of proposals were unveiled in the rail budget Friday to facilitate the purchase of tickets not just from stations, but also mobile vans, post offices and automatic vending machines. "Passengers can now buy computerised tickets from nearly 5,000 post offices in cities and towns," Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said while presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha.

June 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Speedy execution of pending projects, modernisation of stations and improvement of passenger amenities are among the suggestions the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has made to the railways ministry. "Despite marked improvement in the financial position, Indian Railways continue to face issues such as outdated technology, poor state of railway stations, lack of basic passenger amenities, capacity constraints and shortage of funds for investment," the chamber said in a 20-point charter submitted to the ministry.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Indian Railways' determined efforts will be to keep enhancing passenger amenities and comforts to a higher level, both in trains and on railway stations. In her message to the Railway personnel after assuming the charge of office of the Union Railway Minister, Banerjee urged all the railwaymen to provide 'service with smile'.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The railways ministry will carry forward the projects taken up by the former minister, Lalu Prasad, including the ambitious bullet train proposal, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said here Monday.

March 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Pleased with the special provisions for handicapped to vote in the upcoming general elections, rights groups Monday said the 2009 Lok Sabha polls have been made disabled friendly. In a Public Interest Litigation before the polls in 2004, Javed Abidi, convenor of the Disabled Rights Group (DRG) wrote to the Chief Justice of India to make the polling process more disabled friendly.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A new book explaining how the second largest railway network in the world is managing disasters - both man-made and natural - was released here Tuesday. Railways Minister Lalu Prasad released the book, titled 'Disaster Management in the Indian Railways', written by Minister of State for Railways R.

January 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rakesh Kumar Tandon, an Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) officer of the 1978 batch, took over as managing director of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) Wednesday. Prior to this, Tandon was executive director (passenger marketing, and efficiency and research) in the railways ministry.