In a significant move to ensure food safety, the Indian Railways has issued a directive for the installation of CCTV cameras in key areas of its catering operations. This initiative aims to closely monitor hygiene standards in the cooking and storage zones, as well as record cleaning activities on trains and at stations.
Enhanced Monitoring for Food Safety
The decision was communicated by Southern Railway's General Manager, R N Singh, in a written response to Member of Parliament N K Premchandran. Singh stated that the Railway Board is conducting continuous inspections to uphold hygiene. Whenever issues with food quality or cleanliness are identified during these checks, they are promptly brought to the attention of the IRCTC and the concerned railway division, with corrective measures suggested.
Premchandran highlighted that the railways also informed him of ongoing efforts to improve punctuality. Steps are being actively taken to ensure trains adhere to their scheduled departure and arrival times.
Major Infrastructure Push for Kerala Stations
Alongside the focus on food hygiene, the response detailed a comprehensive list of development projects aimed at enhancing passenger facilities across several railway stations in Kerala. These projects represent a substantial infrastructure upgrade for the region's rail network.
The flagship project is the comprehensive renovation of Kollam station, valued at a staggering Rs 361.68 crore. The work is currently in progress and is targeted for completion by December 2026.
Other approved station works include:
- Renovation of the circulating area and approach road at Mayyanad station, to be finished by June 2026.
- Similar renovation works for the approach road and circulating area at Paravur station, scheduled for completion in 2026.
- A Rs 6.21 crore project for the overall development of Punalur station, with an aim to wrap up by March of this year.
Platform Extensions to Accommodate Longer Trains
A major component of the upgrade involves extending platform lengths at multiple stations to accommodate trains with more coaches, thereby increasing passenger capacity. The approved extensions are:
- Aryankavu station: Platform extension from 250 meters to 455 meters for 20-coach trains.
- Chandanathope station: Platform to be extended from 270 meters to 576 meters.
- Edamon station: Platform length increase from 400 meters to 520 meters.
- Kilikollur station: Second platform extension from 405 meters to 576 meters will start soon.
- New Aryankavu Station: Platform to be dramatically extended from 35 meters to 550 meters to handle 24-coach trains.
- Thenmala station: Platform extension from 400 meters to 580 meters for 24-coach trains will begin shortly.
Additionally, work to increase platform height at stations like Edapalayam and Ottakkal has been sanctioned. The platform height augmentation works across various stations are expected to be completed by March, as per the information shared with the MP.
These combined actions signal a dual focus by the railways: enforcing stricter quality control for onboard services while simultaneously investing heavily in modernizing and expanding physical infrastructure to improve the travel experience for millions of passengers.
