Towards Passenger Friendly Stations: An Indian Railways Case Study for Urban Rejuvenation

Indian Railways (IR) currently operates more than 2934 Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM) across several junction stations [1] dispensing platform tickets that have earned about 16.8 million USD in sales [2]. This statistic highlights the importance of providing user friendly passenger stations for IR. There are more than 7000 stations [3] all over India. The basic design of the IR stations has not changed in over half a century. Existing stations are inconvenient, cause problems to passengers and do not comply with the latest safety standards [4]. This paper examines fundamental challenges that passengers and visitors face, using an example of an existing station. The objective of this paper is to present financially viable solutions that will help railway stations transform into next generation transit nodal centers providing passengers and accompanying people, a significantly positive experience. A "Your Railway Station" smartphone application designed to provide all the pertinent information regarding any railway station, is suggested. Identification of problems and intended solutions were validated with a pan India online survey. A streamline approach involving multiple stakeholders, will facilitate upgradation. The redevelopment of IR stations will usher in urban renewal and solve operational challenges related to infrastructure and passenger comfort.