Parliament Question: Non-operational Lifts, Escalators and Foot Over Bridges at Railway Stations of Western Railway

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 345 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 NON-OPERATIONAL LIFTS, ESCALATORS AND FOOT OVER BRIDGES AT RAILWAY STATIONS OF WESTERN RAILWAY †*345. SHRI PATEL UMESHBHAI BABUBHAI: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether lifts, escalators and Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) at many railway stations of Western Railway were shown as operational on paper while they have remained closed for a long time and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Western Railway has conducted physical verification of the said works and if so, the details thereof; (c) the time by which the report thereon is likely to be laid in the House; (d) whether any action has been taken by the Government against railway employees during the last three years as regular complaints against Tatkal ticket touts are receiving in Western Railway and if so, the details thereof, year-wise; (e) whether such activities are not possible without internal collusion; and (f) if so, whether an independent investigation of the said system is likely to be conducted and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. ***** §STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF STARRED QUESTION NO.345 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 IN LOK SABHA (a) to (f): Presently, 191 escalators at 46 Railway stations and 240 Lifts at 86 Railway stations have been provided in Western Railway. Further, Development / Upgradation of railway stations is complex in nature involving safety of passengers & trains and requires various statutory clearances such as tree cutting, heritage, fire clearance, airport clearance etc. These stations are in operation since long, so brownfield work challenges are being faced, such as shifting of utilities (involving water/sewage lines, optical fibre cables, gas pipelines, power/signal cables etc.), infringements, operation of trains without hindering passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close proximity of the tracks and near to high voltage power lines, etc. and these factors affect the progress of work and completion time. Indian Railways has adopted a phased, passenger-centric redevelopment strategy to address space constraints, shifting of utilities and operational continuity at the brownfield station projects. Master planning of station estate carried out in a holistic way ensuring functional zoning, utilizing railway land efficiently. Detailed utility mapping and advance diversion planning are undertaken in coordination with local agencies to prevent service disruptions. Execution of works is carefully sequenced in phases, so that train operations and essential passenger amenities remain functional. Temporary facilities, clear signage and crowd management measures, wherever required, are also taken to minimize inconvenience to passengers during the redevelopment period. Page 1 of 7Station-redevelopment: Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach. The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations of Indian Railways. The master planning, keeping in view the necessity of each station, includes:  Improvement of access to station and circulating areas  Integration of station with both sides of city  Improvement of station building  Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water booths  Provision of wider foot over bridge/subway to commensurate with passenger traffic  Provision of lifts/escalators/ramps  Improvement of platform surface and provision of platform shelter  Provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’  Parking development  Amenities for Divyangjans  Better passenger information systems  Provision of air concourse, executive lounges, Multimodal integration, landscaping, etc. The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term. Page 2 of 7So far, 1340 stations have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, out of which 123 stations are located in Western Railway. The names of stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Western Railway are as following: Zonal No. of Names of Stations Railway Stations Western 123 Ahmedabad, Akodia, Amalner, Anand, Railway Andheri, Ankleshwar, Asarva, Bandra Terminus, Bardoli, Berchha, Bhachau, Bhaktinagar, Bhanvad, Bharuch, Bhatiya, Bhavnagar, Bhestan, Bhildi, Bilimora Jn, Borivali, Botad Jn., Chanderiya, Chandlodia, Charni Road, Chittorgarh Jn., Chorvad Road, Dabhoi Jn, Dadar (WR), Dahisar, Dahod, Dakor, Derol, Dewas, Dharangaon, Dhrangadhra, Dwarka, Gandhidham, Godhra Jn, Gondal, Grant Road, Hapa, Himmatnagar, Indore Jn, Jam Jodhpur, Jam Wanthali, Jamnagar, Jetalsar Jn., Jogeshwari, Junagadh Jn, Kalol Jn, Kanalus Jn, Kandivali, Karamsad, Keshod, Khachrod, Khambhaliya, Kim, Kosamba Jn, Lakhtar, Laxmi Bai Nagar, Limbdi, Limkheda, Lower Parel, Mahemadabad Kheda Road, Mahesana Jn, Mahuva, Maksi Jn, Malad, Mandsor, Maninagar, Marine Lines, Meghnagar, Mithapur, Miyagam Karjan Jn, Morbi, Mumbai Central, Nadiad Jn, Nagda Jn, Nandurbar, Navsari, New Bhuj, Nimuch, Page 3 of 7Zonal No. of Names of Stations Railway Stations Okha, Paddhari, Palanpur Jn, Palghar, Palitana, Patan, Porbandar, Prabhadevi, Pratapnagar, Rajkot Jn, Rajula Jn, Ratlam, Sabarmati BG, Sabarmati MG, Sachin, Samakhiyali, Sanjan, Savarkundla, Sayan, Sehore, Shujalpur, Siddhpur, Sihor Jn., Somnath, Songadh, Surat, Surendranagar, Than, Udhna, Udvada, Ujjain, Umargaon Road, Unjha, Utran, Vadodara, Vapi, Vatva, Veraval, Viramgam, Vishvamitri Jn., Wankaner Completed Stations of Western Railway: Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme have been taken up at a good pace. Details of stations completed in Western Railway are as under: No. of Zonal Railway Name of Stations Stations Western 23 Bhaktinagar, Dakor, Derol, Godhra Railway Junction, Hapa, Jam Jodhpur, Jam Wanthali, Kanalus Junction, Karamsad, Khambhaliya, Kosamba Junction, Limbdi, Mahuva, Mithapur, Morbi, Okha, Palitana, Porbandar, Pratapnagar, Rajula Junction, Samakhiyali, Sihor Junction, Utran Page 4 of 7The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of the stations is as given below: Amrit Bharat Stations in Western Railway:  New Bhuj station: The structural work of new station building at main and second entry and air concourse has been completed and finishing works have been taken up. The works of new foot over bridge, through roof, improvement of circulating area at main entry and second entry, new platform shelters, lifts and escalators have been taken up.  Kalol Junction station: The works of new station building at main and second entry, platform shelter, improvement of platform surface, improvement of circulating area and parking have been completed. The works of new 12 m wide foot over bridge, improvement of water booth and entry/ exit gate have been taken up.  Mahesana Junction station: The works of improvement of station building at main entry, new station building at second entry, improvement of circulating area, parking platform shelter, improvement of platform surface, boundary wall and entry/exit gate have been completed. The works of 12 m wide foot over bridge, improvement of water booth and toilet block have been taken up.  Ankleshwar station: The works of improvement of station building at main entry and second entry, improvement of circulating area, approach road, new platform shelters and parking have been completed. The work of 12 m wide foot over bridge has been taken up. Page 5 of 7 Surendranagar station: The works of improvement of station building, improvement of circulating area, parking, improvement of platform surface and new platform shelters have been completed. The works of 12 m wide foot over bridge and lifts have been taken up. Further, development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations on Indian Railways including provision of lifts, escalators and Foot Over Bridges is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter-se priority and availability of funds. Development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of station/condition/traffic handled etc. However, no lift, escalator or Foot Over Bridge is permanently closed at any station in Western Railway. In case lifts, escalators and FOBs are temporarily closed for maintenance, repair, or other operational reasons, alternate means at the station remain open to facilitate passenger movement between platforms. The availability of one or more FOBs at a station is planned based on operational requirements and passenger footfall, ensuring uninterrupted passenger movement. In order to curb the misuse of reservation system by unscrupulous elements, a number of preventive and punitive measures have been introduced by Indian Railways. Some of the important initiatives taken in this regard are as under:  Regular checks are conducted in mass contact areas such as Passenger Reservation System (PRS) centers, Booking Offices, Platforms, Trains etc. to prevent unauthorized ticketing activities. Such Page 6 of 7checks are also intensified during peak period like festivals, holidays etc.  General public are also educated through Public Address System and media, not to buy tickets from unscrupulous elements and consequences of buying tickets from these sources.  Regular drives are conducted by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel against touts over Indian Railway and action is taken against persons found involved as per the provisions contained in the Railways Act. Cases having wider ramifications and involving ingredients of other offences are dealt in coordination with other law enforcement agencies like Police & Central Bureau of Investigation.  Regular Cyber patrolling through cyber cells of RPF is done to prevent activities of unscrupulous elements/touts using illegal software and action is taken against them as per extant legal provisions. Legal action is taken against offenders (including Railway employees) under section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989. During last 3 years i.e. 2023 to 2025 and up to June 2026, 65 Railway employees were arrested over Indian Railways, of whom 9 were arrested in Western Railway under relevant provision of law. Further, 13580 touts have been arrested and legal action has been taken against offenders under section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989. ***** Page 7 of 7