Railways to outsource MRTS maintenance

Rlys to outsource MRTS maintenance
Devparna Acharya/TNN
Chennai: Taking note of the shabby conditions at many Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) stations, Southern Railway is working on a plan to to bring in an external agency with a dedicated function of ensuring the upkeep of all stations along the 25-km route.
Divisional railway manager (DRM) of Southern Railway, Anurag, told TOI he was conscious of the need to improve standards for security and hygiene on the network, which is currently used by more than 70,000 commuters daily.He said railways was planning to hand over a contract for the maintenance of facilities at the 21 stations on the Beach-Velachery route to a private player.
"We are aware of conditions in these stations and there is a plan to outsource a comprehensive contract. The project will include overall maintenance of the stations. It will also look into security, cleanliness and infrastructural development of all MRTS stations. There will be a marked difference in the way the stations looks," he said.
Tenders would be floated to invite private players to bid for the maintenance contract. The DRM gave no indication of the timeframe for expediting the proposal. The use of external agencies to oversee amenities at the stations is a model that has been used by the railways in other parts of the country as well. However, external agencies are usually used only for cleanliness or maintenance; private security is rarely used for railway facilities.
The contracts will run for a steady duration during which railway officials will assess the quality of the service provided by the agency. "It is not a revamp project. The property will be regularly taken care of by those chosen for the job. A contract will be given for a year or two and these stations will be maintained by them," he said.
Anurag though refused to comment on exactly when the tenders would be floated or the estimated time by when the project would begin. "We'll let you know once the decision is taken. I cannot divulge any statistics right now," he added.
Southern Railway would be mindful of the development of the metro rail which is expected to partially open in a few years. Once the travelling public finds more than one option for public transport, it would be necessary to spruce up the MRTS network in order to draw commuters.
As of now, commuters say the network is fast and affordable, but the stations are "unbelievably dirty." "You look at them and know that no time or money is being spent here," said Ganapathy, resident of RA Puram and a CA student, before hopping on the train as the guard waved the green flag.
Ganapathy is not the only commuter complaining about lack of sanitation and cleanliness. Be it Chepauk, Triplicane or Chintadripet, all the stations have the same story to narrate. "I commute daily from Triplicane to Chepauk. Triplicane especially is a stench pool. It is tough to walk there. There are slum dwellers and after a point it stops being safe," says Shamna, a regular commuter. "I don't understand why officials do not take up this cause," she adds.
Many of them question the productivity of the existing railway staff deployed to keep the stations clean. "You see workers moving around with a broom but it is hardly used. You don't need crores of rupees to maintain the stations. If they maintained the stations regularly, this situation would not have arisen today. It is a hub for anti-social elements. I feel safe but only till 5 in the evening," says Sivakumar, a resident of Chepauk and a regular commuter.
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