S Rly to complete bio-toilet project by June 2019

Southern Railway (SR) has proposed to complete the bio-toilet project in the zone by June 2019. While 5,443 coaches out of 6,608 coaches have been provided with bio-toilets till November 2018, the zone has to retrofit bio-toilets in remaining 18 per cent of its coaches.

The zone has already acknowledged four sections, Rameswaram – Manamadurai, Tiruchirapalli – Manamadurai, Madurai – Manamadurai, Virudhunagar – Manamadurai and Shoranur – Nilambur as green train corridors. All trains passing through the above sections have been equipped with bio-toilets, which ensure zero discharge on tracks.

As a part of its passenger-friendly initiatives, SR has also planned to provide mechanised washing of an additional 13,000 sets of linen daily at the BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) laundries proposed at Madurai, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Nagercoil and Ernakulam. SR has such laundries functioning at Basin Bridge and Kochuveli, which supply 26 tons of quality linen (23,000 sets) per day on an average to trains operated in the zone.

The zone, which has extended onboard housekeeping service to 102 trains, has launched a dedicated helpline mobile number 9821736069 to SMS complaints to Coach Mitra, a scheme launched in all the 102 trains covered under the on board housekeeping service (OBHS) scheme to handle linen and water complaints plus petty repairs in the trains.

RPF to identify trespass areas and build walls: Director general of RPF has instructed all railway zones to identify the locations/areas prone to human trespass and take steps to construct high rise compound walls to prevent any untoward incidents. Revealing the information, the Chief Security Commissioner of SR Birendra Kumar, who chaired crime conference meeting of the zone here said the Director General has instructed zonal RPF to optimise security at major stations and trains by establishing high profile presence of RPF and providing modern security gadgets to them.