Title - Mysore rail station wins award for being ‘most tourist-friendly’

It bags award for the ‘best tourist-friendly railway station in the country’..
The Mysore Railway Station has bagged the award for ‘the most tourist-friendly railway station in the country’, instituted by the Ministry of Tourism.Divisional Railway Manager Vinod Kumar and Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Mysore Division, Anup Dayanand Sadhu, will receive the award from President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Monday.

Host of parameters::The award has been given based on a host of parameters stipulated by the Ministry, including the facilities available for tourists, number of toilets, cleanliness and hygiene, travel desk, facilities for physically challenged persons and comforts available in the retiring rooms.Mr. Sadhu told The Hindu that each of the 16 railway zones in the country was asked to nominate its best station for the award. Mysore was selected among these 16 stations for 2011-12.

The availability of two tourist information desks — one operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and the other by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), three pre-paid autorickshaw stands and a taxi-stand, display of proper signages, Wi-Fi connectivity, heritage gallery and model rail road are some of the other features and facilities that helped the station get the national award.

Transformation

The Mysore station has witnessed a transformation in the recent past, with a slew of amenities that have been added in the last three years.

While the area near the current reservation counter has been expanded to reduce congestion, the passenger circulation area on the platform has seen improvement. A slew of ATM kiosks have been set up.

Mr. Sadhu said the number of electrically operated buggies would be increased while the deluxe ‘use and pay’ toilets to be manned by Sulabh International would be inaugurated soon.

The other facilities that makes Mysore station unique include the 24x7 medicare facility.

Mr. Sadhu pointed out that in other stations, such centres are manned by paramedics whereas in Mysore, doctors were on call 24x7.

The retiring rooms spruced up under the Renovate Operate Transfer (ROT) concept for the first time in the country, providing 3-star amenities at a budget rate was another factor that saw Mysore station bagging the award.

In a bid to reduce passenger congestion at the current booking counters, the railways will introduce automatic ticket vending machine (ATVMs) and Mysore station will have five such ATVMs, according to Mr. Sadhu.

‘Boost for staff’

“The award will give a boost to the staff as it comes at a time when the Mysore station is gearing up for impending changes with a steady increase in the number of trains and passenger footfalls,” he added.

Mysore station — with its Corinthian columns — is recognised as a heritage structure and is over 100 years old.


Railway officials will receive the award from the President in New Delhi on March 18

‘Doctors are on call 24x7 at Mysore station, whereas paramedics are on call at other stations’