Tuesday 22 December 2015

15th Salem Division Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) Meeting held on 22.12.2015


 (L-R) Sri K.P. Damodaran, Sr. DCM, Sri. Shubhranshu, DRM & Sri R.S.Sinha, ADRM 
Sri K.P. Damodaran, addressing the gathering
 
Sri Shubhranshu addressing the gathering
 The Members of the DRUCC with Salem Division Officals
The 15th  Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) of the Salem Division, Southern Railway was held on 22.12.2015, in the Divisional Office premises under the  Chairmanship of Sri.Shubhranshu, Divisional Railway Manager, Salem Division. Sri R.S. Sinha, Addl. Divisional Railway Manager, Sri K.P. Damodaran, Sr. Divisional Commercial Manager and Secretary, Salem DRUCC, Sri E.Harikrishnan, Sr. Divisional Operations Manager, and other Branch officers participated in the meeting along with the 22 DRUCC Members from Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Karur, Mettupalayam,  Kangeyam, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri and Namakkal.  

Welcoming the gathering, Sri K.P. Damodaran, briefed about the various salient features and activities of Salem Division, to the members and said that the Salem Division is totally focused on the cleanliness in railway premises. He also solicited suggestions/participation from the DRUCC members in this regard.

During his address to the DRUCC Members, Sri Shubhranshu,  said that he was happy that e Salem Division was able to satisfy some of the demands from the demands within the powers of DRM. He said that the posters pasted by the staff unions have been removed from all the Railway Stations and they have been given strict warning not to paste posters in the station premises.  In his capacity as DRM, he had been meeting the representatives of people like MPs and MLAs to get the support from the State Government and Railway Board for completion of projects pertaining to Salem Division, apart from moving through the official channels, he added. The works for the second entry for the Salem Junction are under process, and Platform No.5 is being widened as an island platform, to ease traffic congestion on the main entrance,with extension of Foot Over Bridge (FOB).  It has also been planned to construct a fully functional station building on the other side of Salem Junction, as in Coimbatore, and Tirupur junctions. 

He further informed the members that Salem Division is taking steps with the Ministry of Railways to introduce a unique circular train system for Coimbatore, using Electric Multiple Units (that are in operation in metro cities like Chennai, etc.), connecting major areas of Coimbatore such as Mettupalayam, Coimbatore North, Coimbatore junction, Podanur  and Singanallur.  He expressed the hope with  this step, all the main areas of  Coimbatore will get connected and Coimbatore will explode commercially.  However, he said this being a futuristic plan, may take some time. 

He also listed out the various passenger amenities that have been provided in the Salem Division stations such as 15 Automatic Ticket Vending Machines-ATVMs (Mettupalayam-1, Coimbatore-3, Tiruppur-2, Erode-2, Karur-2, Salem-2, Salem Town-1, Chinna Salem-1, and Attur-1), 6 versatile Coin, Cash and Card operated ATVMs (CoTVMs) in Salem, Erode, Karur, Tiruppur, Coimbatore & Mettupalayam, new station building for Coimbatore North, booking of retiring rooms in Coimbatore, Salem, Eode, Tiruppur, through online.

On future plans, he said that the following amenities are getting ready
1.                  8 escalators (Coimbatore-4, Salem-2 & Erode-2), 5 lifts (Tiruppur-2, Erode-2, Coimbatore-1)
  
LED True Color information Boards for 27 Stations that include coach indication boards, train arrival/departure boards, platform boards with GPS clocks, and touch screen for railway information display

Advance Railway Ticket Booking Counters in post offices in Mohanur, Sulur Road, Yercaud, Dharapuram, Gobichettipalayam and Sri Ramakrishna Vidhyalaya at Periyanaickanpalayam

Medical assistance booth at Coimbatore by Sri Ramakrishna Hospital

Extension of Platform at Peelamedu to hold 24 coaches to enable stoppage of express trains
Train halt station at Thudiyalur under construction

Extension of platform at Mettupalayam to hold 24 coaches to enable arrival and departure of full rake of express trains

Installation of 40 water vending machines by IRCTC in Coimbatore-12, Tiruppur-4, Salem-8, Erode-10, Karur-3, Mettupalayam-3

Unique BMI Kiosk Machines (in place of the weight machines now available) in 5 stations, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, and Salem

New Retiring Room to be installed by this month end at Karur, for which booking will be available on line

Then, the members raised various queries and they were replied as under :

Erode:
For a query by Sri C.S.Gowthaman, on water logging in concourse area, it was advised that drainage facilities will be improved to avoid this problem. On a query on re-using of unwashed bedrolls in Yercaud Express, it was informed that the contractor was fined for the same and warned.

For a demand from Sri N. Sivanesan on extension of Salem-Vridhachalam passenger up to Erode, it was informed that since the rake is being used for extended service from Vridhachalam to Trichy, it is not viable. On a demand for linking Perundurai Railway Station with SIPCOT therein by providing a pathway, he was advised to take up the matter with the District Administration and to send a proposal for consideration.

Coimbatore
For a query from Sri C. Balasubramanian, on introduction of overnight train from Coimbatore to  Bangalore, he was informed that a proposal has already been sent to Railway Board.  When he asked about the Ticket counters at the second entry remaining closed, it was informed that ATVMs have been installed for the use of passengers, but even they are under-utiised. For a demand for introduction of a train between Coimbatore and Puduchery, it was assured to be forwarded to Board for consideration.

On a demand from Sri Jayakrishnan Palanisamy, for routing of more trains through Coimbatore, it was informed that already T.No.22207/22208 Chennai Central Trivandrum Express is being routed through Coimbatore from April 2016, and more trains would follow.

On a demand from Sri Mohansankar, for improvement of North Coimbatore Railway Station and shifting of goods shed to Irugur, he was informed that these steps are already being taken up.

Mettupalayam
On the demand from Sri P. Rajendran, for increasing the number of coaches in the Mettupalayam-Coimbatore passenger, in view of the present road traffic bottlenecks, it was assured that necessary steps would be taken immediately. For a demand to stop the train at Veerapandi, Puthupalayam, and Urumandipalayam, he was advised to take up the matter with the local bodies for provision of funds for construction of stations in these areas, and then the stoppages can be provided, as has been done in  the matter of Thudiyalur. For a demand to introduce the train services on  Sundays as well, it was advised that due  to service demands of the rake,  Sunday services cannot be taken up at present, however, the possibility will be considered, he was assured.

Tiruppur
On a complaint from Sri J.V.Sureshkumar, that both the entrances of Tiruppur stations are poorly lit, it was assured to him that necessary lighting would be provided. On a demand by him for stoppage of all trains for 5 minutes in Tiruppur, for loading of parcels, he was informed that even in the 7 trains already provided with 5 minutes stoppage, the loading is very poor and if the booking is improved, certainly, more trains would be stopped.

On a query from Sri Kishore Kumar Krishnasamy, on construction of VIP waiting hall, he was told that the assured funds of Rs.10 lakhs are yet to be deposited with the railways by the Municipal Corporation and once it is done, the works will be undertaken.

Karur
On a request from Sri K. Raju, for introduction of passenger train from Salem to Dindigul via Karur, DRM informed that proposals have already been sent in this regard, in addition to trains from Salem to Tanjavur, via Karur and Trichirapalli.


At the end of the meeting, Sri E. Harikrishnan, Sr. DOM, delivered the vote of thanks. 

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