Pune DRM reviews pax facilities at Pune railway station

After Hindustan Times reported about poor passenger facilities at Pune Airport on Wednesday, divisional railway manager (DRM) of Pune division, Central Railway (CR), Rajesh Kumar Verma, on Friday reviewed the Pune railway station premises and passenger facilities, giving instructions to officials. This, even as a heated argument unfolded between Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray/UBT) Pune leaders and railway officials at the station.

“Today, we had an inspection at Pune railway station to check passenger facilities, mainly crowd management, during the upcoming summer season. Accordingly, instructions have been given to officials from various departments to ensure the safety and security of passengers coming to the railway station. A holding area will be set up when there is a heavy rush. We will deploy additional staff at the helpdesk, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) policemen will be deployed. Additional portable toilets will be made available for the public. There are special holiday trains which will be running from Pune railway station to various destinations during summer,” said DRM Verma.

As the summer rush intensifies, passengers are expecting swift measures from railway authorities to ensure basic amenities. Amit Deshmukh, a frequent traveller, said, “It is good that the authorities are finally paying attention to passenger facilities, but this should have happened long time ago. Both the airport and railway station need major improvements—better seating, cleaner washrooms, and improved crowd management.”

Another passenger, Neha Kulkarni, said, “We passengers suffer every day due to lack of basic amenities. I hope this review actually leads to action and is not just another inspection for show. The protest shows how frustrated people have become with the system.”