The Railway Board has issued a circular asking all zonal railways to use the available space optimally and avoid taking offices on rent. The move comes in the wake of the COVID-19 stretching the financial resources of the Indian Railways.
The circular, issued to all general managers of zonal railways including Southern Railway, has asked the officials to identify spaces which have been taken on rent and submit a report.
A senior official said that during the recent review meeting held by Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal the issue of unused vacant spaces in several railway limits in the country came up.
The idea was to save as much cost as possible during the pandemic when passenger train operations are minimal leading to revenue loss, he said.
However, regarding the identification of rented space in Southern Railway, the official said most of the administrative offices, workshops and other premises were located in the own buildings.
On the vast space available in the railway stations of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) between Velachery and Chennai Beach, the official said a decision would be taken soon.
