RailEnquiry

If all goes well, the proposed high-class executive lounge and AC waiting hall at the South Railway Station will soon become a reality. Also to come up soon is an AC waiting Hall Exclusively for women. According to Ernakulam Area Manager P L Ashok Kumar, the design for the project has been approved of by the Thiruvananthapuram division. “We have received the nod from the higher-ups for it. The estimate will be prepared in the next couple of days and tenders called by the month-end,” he said.

The project envisages a paid high class executive lounge which will be helpful for the tourists. Since the South railway station does not have an upper class waiting hall, the proposed AC waiting hall will be a relief for the passengers who have to wait for long hours before boarding trains. Meanwhile, the Railways have also designed an AC waiting hall exclusively for women. “There will be sufficient number of bathrooms so that the women who arrive at the station can refresh at the railway station itself. This will hopefully serve passengers who come to Ernakulam for an interview or other occasions,” Ashok Kumar said.

 He added that usually women commuters do not prefer to check in at a  hotel just for a few hours. “There will be sufficient space and lockers to accommodate their luggage,” he added

Apart from the waiting class rooms, the Railways have also proposed a cafeteria for the public. According to Divisional Engineer Sasi, the work will be carried out fully by the Railways.

He said that the Railways had initially decided to set up a Multi-functional complex on the station premises. “The concept was to set up a full-fledged MFC, where everything would have been available under one roof for the public. However, it had to be dropped as no contractor came forward to take it up,” he said.

 Moreover, “stations such as Thiruvalla and Alappuzha where MFCs were constructed have  not yielded much benefit,” he said.