Special Correspondent
KOCHI
A five-member team of officials from the Passenger Service Committee of the Railway Board led by its Chairman Ramesh Chandra Ratn inspected Ernakulam Junction, Alappuzha, and Ettumanur railway stations on Friday, the last leg of their three-day inspection of nine railway stations in Thiruvananthapuram division.
They had inspected Nemom, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum Central (TVC), Kollam, and Kottayam railway stations during the past two days. In TVC, he met senior officials of the division, assessed its performance and spoke about the committee’s vision for railway development in the division, official sources said.
In Ernakulam Jn, the team imposed a fine on an eatery that had not switched on its AC, even as it collected the AC fare from customers. “The team checked the quality of catering, waiting halls, platforms and other amenities in the nine stations. Its members also interacted with passengers. A report on the basis of this would be submitted to the Railway Board, based on which the board is expected to issue directives or announce policy change in keeping with the times,” they said.
The committee instructed augmenting of roof of platforms in Ernakulam Junction where passengers have to brave the elements, be it rain or shine. It also directed bettering of amenities at waiting halls, including at the AC waiting hall.
