General Manager, Northern Railway A K Puthia today held a Press-Conference at Northern Railway Headquarters Office, Baroda House, New Delhi to brief media about the action plans of zone. Principal heads-of-departments and divisional Railway manager, Northern Railway, Delhi Arun Arora were also present on the occasion.
As Northern Railway gears to fulfil rail projects and passenger-centric initiatives laid out in the Rail Budget 2016-17, Puthia laid out the broad statement of action plans and financial statement of the zone. Taking an over-view of the varied scenario of the Railway vis-à-vis the previous year, Puthia pointed out to the marked change in general public perception regarding the improved state of cleanliness at railway stations and in trains. He attributed this to the consistent efforts of the Railway to spruce its premises of littering and garbage, especially the targeted anti-littering drive and Shramdaan initiatives of Railway personnel under the Swacch Rail programme. Cleaning contracts awarded to 86 stations and imprest for cleanliness to Station Masters extended to 923 stations. The On-board House-keeping services on trains have been extended to 94 trains during the current year. Bio-toilets are now provided in 900 coaches of Northern Railway. The Vacuum-cum-Bio-Toilet presently introduced as a pilot project in Dibrugarh Rajdhani would be progressively extended.
Safety at level-crossing has been a principal subject and 123 level-crossings eliminated through suitable construction of ROB/RUB/Sub-ways(lHS) on the zone vis-à-vis 75 constructions during 2014-15. During the year 2016-17, Northern Railway has a target of elimination of 200 level-crossings through suitable construction of ROB/RUB/lHS.