Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Thursday announced a Slew of passenger facilities in his maiden budget including user friendly ladders to mount upper berths to increasing lower berth quota for senior citizens. The other amenities are : Unreserved ticket purchase made simpler through smart phones, debit cards. Introduction of “Operation Five Minutes' to ensure that a passenger travelling unreserved can purchase a ticket within five minutes. Introduction of 17,000 bio-toilets in trains. Surveillance cameras on select mainline and ladies compartments. All India 24x7 helpline 138 from March 1, Toll free No. 182 for security complaints. All newly manufactured coaches to be braille enabled. Online booking for wheel chairs to be enabled. Wi-Fi facility to be extended to category B stations. SMS alerts to be introduced to inform passengers in advance about the updated arrival / departure time of trains at starting or destination stations. New department to keep stations clean. Toilets at stations need improvement, 650 additional toilets to be created in addition to 120 last year. Rs. 120 crore provided for lifts and escalators to facilitate movements of passengers and goods. Collaboration with NIFT and NID for better bed rolls, inner coach designs. For the benefit of the soldiers, a Defence Travel System has been developed for elimination of warrants to make travel easier. This facility has been commissioned in 600 locations. To expand water vending machines to most railway stations to ensure availability of clean drinking water at very low cost to people. The facility of self operated lockers would also gradually be made available at stations. TTEs would be instructed to help senior citizens, pregnant women and differently abled people in obtaining lower berths. Middle bay of coaches will be reserved for women and senior citizens for reasons of safety.
