(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.
