Rail Budget 2014: Pre-cooked meals, cleaner stations part of promised passenger amenities

In his maiden budget Railways minister Sadananda Gowda has promised a variety of passenger amenities that could exponentially improve the quality of rail travel across the country.

Here are some of the passenger amenities the Modi government is promising to bring in over the next few years -

- Food: Pre-cooked ready-to-eat meals from well known brands will be introduced. Food courts will also be set up at major railway stations. Severe action will be taken against vendors delivering unhygienic food, including cancellation of contracts and licences. There will alsoIVRS (interactive voice response) system for feedback on catering.

- Water: Purified drinking water will be made available in trains and on station platforms.

- Cleanliness: While heavily emphasising the importance of cleanliness, Gowda said CCTVs will be used at railway stations to monitor cleanliness at stations. Cleaning activities at 50 major stations will be outsources to private agencies and separate housekeeping wings will be set up for cleanliness and sanitation.

More from Railway Budget

The minister said, use of CCTVs at stations will be extended to monitor cleanliness activities. All-India level complaint or helpline number will be printed on the back of all tickets. System of periodic third-party inspections will be introduced.

Another proposals is to set up sufficient bio-toilets in order to mitigate the problem of direct discharge of human waste on the tracks and platform aprons at stations.

"Onboard Housekeeping Services, currently operational in 400 trains, has received good feedback from passengers. This will be extended to all the important trains," he said.

He also proposed to increase mechanised laundries in order to improve quality of the bedrolls provided in AC Coaches.