Kochu Veli Railway Station - Train Boarding Information

 A year ago, a friend's brother was working as a station master at Kochu Veli railway station. He was a fellow with good ideas to improve passenger experience, providing more facilities for train commuters with useful information. 

Once he called me to the station and took me around. We showed the development projects of Kochu Veli station ( now Trivandrum South). He asked if I could give some suggestion which can help train commuters with get more information. 

I don't remember what all things I told him. However looking back I feel I could have given more useful information if I had been to other railway station across the world. 

So, here's a fantastical offer or proposal to Govt India Railways department. You can take me as a consultant for Railway Improvement Service Committee, and provide me with travel allowence or FREE First class ticket to travel all around India, Singapore, China, Europe. 

So, what will I do? 

Well, I will take tons of pictures of railway station, and suggestion to Indian Railway on how to implement a beneficial service. Probably, it will be helpful in small or big ways when it comes to designing railway station, improving customer information boards, or improve cleanliness in railway station, etc. 

Ok! 

Coming Back to the Suggestions of improving passenger comfort, accessibility, findabiity, etc.

Recycling Project:

1 Once I saw a plastic bottle crusher on a platform. It was a good idea. It would break plastic bottles to small bits, and later it could be used for recyling. I'm not sure, if that piece of box still works. 

Alternative or expansion of the program: Wish every major railway sation has a facility to collect plastic bottles, and powder it using a heavy duty machine. After, it's crushed, the machine will process it and convert to into bags, pots, plastic tubs, plastic sheets for rain water harvesting, etc. 

All the recycled materials made by the unit, will be sold through a counter at the railways station. ( I'm not sure about the feasibility of this project. But, what I know is there's no shortage of plastic bottles in railways stations)

Also, ladies can be entrusted to collect and do the entire recycling process. It's employment opportunity as well as value-creation.

Comfort 

1. I always like the the idea of using vending machine. And, what not use a vending machine in railway station. So, what will the vending machine dispense. These machines, small in size can be kept inside ladies waiting room. It will dispense, sanitary napkins, tissue paper, mask, sanitizer, tissue towels, under garments, or cloth towels, water bottles, etc. 

Tie-up with sanitary napkin companies to sell their product like tappoons, overnight period panties, etc. 


2. Findability 

People who are new to a railway station will have many doubts about the location of their train and how to reach a particular platform, esp when time is running out. 

Often, what we do is see the LED display board to see the train number, platform number, etc. So, here's a better way to display information. 

1. Use big TV Screen with a fixed image of all the trains lined up on the platform and the train number and the place where it stops! 
( Something like the Screen at KFC which displays the various items on the menu). The image is still and shows all the trains which are scheduled for departure. If a particular train is delayed, It will show clearly) Here, no one has to wait for the LED screens to show your turn. 

2. Use a static whiteboard on a stand which shows a 2D image of trains lined up ( Train Number, Departure Time, Platform for departure, etc). It will also show ( YOU ARE HERE). 

I've seen similar ones at Lulu Mall, Trivadrum. I'll take a pic and show it for reference. 

The board will be colorful, showing the route to reach other platform ( via stairs or elevator) or underground pathway. 

3. Use a AR type device to show different platforms 

  Imagine, there's a recorded video which is uploaed on railway site. A person who's planning to visit a railway station, can click on it to give a clear idea on the path and the route to reach a platform. So, similar to google street view map, this video will give a clear perspective of the location. 

4. Bird Eye View of the Station 

  An overhead view of the platforms, with platform numbers and the mark ( You Are HERE) will be useful for train commuters to reach respective platform.

This eagle eye view of the station, should include all the details, such as station entrance, exit, parcle office, canteen, water booth, waiting area. It can be simple pic of the Google Earth, but in more realistic view. Probably, it can be made and kept on a stand at all the entrance, so that anyone can view and locate. 


5. FAQs ( What, Where, How )

 Has anyone made a list of questions raised by train commuters in a station? Won't it be a interesting data to work or provide many remedial answers. 

Questions like: where can I book the parcel, how to take talkal ticket, how to board a train, where is the nearest hospital, which is the nearest dispensary to buy insulin and how long will it take to reach and come back, where can I buy booze and have a drink before taking the train, where can I find pothi choru with ( fish fry) near Kochu Veli station, or get parota and beef fry near Thampanoor station, etc...

This data, could be filtered and made using a tag cloud! 



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