New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) In a first of its kind interaction with train passengers, Delhi's Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Sukhvinder Singh held a 'Rail Chaupal' at the New Delhi Railway Station on Tuesday during which he received positive feedback on cleanliness and facilities from dozens of travellers.
The Railway Ministry recently instructed all the rail divisions across the country to hold 'Rail Chaupal' sessions on the station premises to collect feedback from passengers on the amenities and resolve their complaints.
"Rail Chaupal is a component of the Special Campaign 4.0 initiated by the Railway Board from October 1 to October 31, 2024. There are many other passenger-centric activities under the campaign to make their train journey a pleasurable experience," a spokesperson from the Northern Railway said.
"The theme of Special Campaign 4.0 is 'Swachhata Hi Sanskar Hai' and the idea behind the Rail Chaupal is 'Baat Karne se hi Baat Banti Hai' (Interaction is the only way to get issues resolved)," he added.
According to the railway officials, the purpose of 'Rail Chaupal' is to let passengers share their views and thoughts on how to further improve amenities and services that can make a difference in their journey.
Sharing details about the 'chaupal' at New Delhi Railway Station, the spokesperson said, "We were glad to hear words of praise from many passengers on cleanliness and sanitation on the station premises as well as trains."
"Despite being one of the busiest stations of the country in terms of footfall as well as services, we have been able to keep the station area as well as all arriving and departing trains clean," he added.
According to Delhi Rail Division, the daily average footfall at New Delhi Railway Station is between 4 to 5 lakh passengers and the average daily train operation is over 100 express, mail and local trains.
The spokesperson said many passengers, during the 'chaupal', said it was their duty to keep the public area clean by using disposable bins to spit tobacco and paan, and throw waste materials.
The officials said the Delhi DRM appreciated such passengers' concern and requested others to cooperate with Railways in maintaining cleanliness while welcoming them to keep offering suggestions or feedback so that necessary improvements could be made.