Airlines Deals

The ministry has decided to make some of its stations look like model airports.

At a time when the aviation boom and the surge in the number of first-time fliers has turned some of our airports into railway stations, the railways has decided to make some of its stations look like model airports.

The railways has realised that low-cost airlines are its prime competitor, as a huge chunk of its passengers in the air-conditioned coaches have begun to migrate to Air Deccan, SpiceJet and other such players. Revenues for the upper-class segment have been dipping steadily in the last three years.

The ministry has now realised that to retain its well-heeled passengers, it will need to to alter its image. Railway officials are thinking of changing the look of some of the major railway stations.

Railway officials say that the ministry plans to turn some of its largest railway stations into mega terminals. Once modernised, these stations will have separate arrival and departure lounges, shopping malls close to waiting rooms and a high-tech electronic queue management system.

The railways plans to remodel the railway stations in the four metros into mega terminals. The four mega-terminals will come up at (New Delhi) Delhi, (Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal) Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai by remodelling their existing structures. The plan is to modernise stations in such manner that they can compete with airports in terms of facilities.

A proposal for such an exercise is being prepared and will be presented before the railway board.

One of the main components of the modernisation plan is to build a huge holding space right next to the parking space in each of these stations. There will also be holding spaces or central waiting halls, where passengers, who have to catch a train, can wait. The air-conditioned waiting hall will have an electronic system through which passengers will be informed of the arrival time of their trains.

Only those passengers, who have a train to catch within a short span of time, will be allowed to proceed to the platform.

This will also help streamline security frisking and ticket checking at these stations. So, platforms will be de-congested and passengers will be able to board trains in an organised manner.

An official said in this manner stampedes which had become a problem, especially at the New Delhi railway station, could be avoided. Some of these stations may also be equipped with elevators.

Separate arrival and departure lounges will also be built so that passengers will not have to wedge past people coming from the opposite direction to move ahead.

Another official said the railways also planned to construct additional floors at these railway stations. The idea is to lease out the commercial space, so that revenues generated here can be pumped back into these railway stations.

“Some of the space will be allotted to run mini-theatres, shopping malls, restaurants and food plazas so that the passengers can spend an enjoyable waiting time,” he added.

The department thinks if these mega-terminals succeed, it can think of setting up a chain of such mega-terminals, especially in other large cities where there is constant transfer of passengers from railway stations to airports.