Top priority for passenger facilities

Tirupati: AK Mital, chairman, Railway Board, along with senior officials, including Ravindra Gupta, General Manager SCR, on Sunday inspected Tirupati Railway Station. During the course of his inspection, Mital undertook an intensive check of the various passenger amenities at Tirupati Railway Station.

Keeping in view the fact that Tirupati Railway Station is the gateway to the abode of Lord Venkateshwara and sees a huge rush of rail traffic continuously, Mital attached a lot of importance to the provision of basic passenger facilities at the station such as maintenance of toilets, drinking water, waiting halls, catering facilities, circulating area, foot-over-bridges etc.

He made it a point to check the standards of cleanliness in the bathrooms and toilets attached to the waiting halls, in tune with the emphasis of railways towards a clean environment. The Railway Board Chairman also had a look of all the platforms and the foot-over-bridges connecting the same.

At the new second entry being developed on the south side of the station, Ravindra Gupta, briefed him on the plans formulated to develop the second entry, along with the provision of facilities envisaged, access to entry and circulating area. Mital advised that whatever is required to be done for the convenience and comfort of pilgrim passengers shall be undertaken with due priority.

Earlier, Tirupati MP V Varaprasad met Mital and had a detailed discussion on the development plans for the station keeping in view the continuous and significant rise in rail traffic. Ravindra Gupta and B G Mallya, Divisional Railway Manager, Guntakal Division, SCR were also present during the meeting.

Subsequent to the visit of Chairman Railway Board, Ravindra Gupta, General Manager, SCR, undertook inspection of Renigunta Railway Station, the second important hub of pilgrim traffic to Tirumala. The General Manager went around the entire station premises and checked the standards and maintenance of passenger amenities such as AC and general waiting halls, seating, water and catering facilities.

He also interacted with passengers to seek their views on the improvement in rail services. The General Manager checked the working of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) and digital display boards at the main entrance. He instructed officials to provide standard signage boards indicating various facilities available at the station in a uniform manner.

B Gopinath Mallya, Divisional Railway Manager, Guntakal Division and other divisional officers accompanied the General Manager during the inspection.