Mysore rly station is now tourist friendly

Mysore Railway Station, built by the then Mysore State Railway under the patronage of Mysore Maharajas, has been adjudged tourist-friendly. "It has won the National Tourism Award under the category "Tourist-friendly Railway Station for the year 2011-12," said South Western Railway Sr.Divisional Commercial Manager Anup Dayanand Sadhu.

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, presents national tourism awards to various segments of travel and tourism industry every year. The awards are presented in recognition of the performance in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promoting tourism. President Pranab Kumar Mukharjee will give away the awards in New Delhi on March 18. Vinod Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Mysore and Sadhu will receive the award.

The Ministry of Tourism selects one station every year under the category and the selection is based on creation of tourist friendly infrastructure and other amenities.

"The availability of tourist friendly infrastructure such as retiring rooms, waiting hallsooms, seating arrangements, eating outlets, general maintenance and upkeep of station, availability of tourist facilitation centers, availability of pre-paid taxi services, eco-friendly measures undertaken, especially rain-water harvesting, facilities for differently-abled passengers, availability of hotel accommodation in the vicinity, display of proper signage and other noticeable activities at the station and other extraordinary activities/initiatives by the authorities at the Station have been taken into account while evaluating the nomination of Mysore Railway Station for this prestigious award", Sadhu said. Mysore Railway Station currently runs about 40 pairs of trains a day carrying over 25, 000 originating and an equal number of inward passengers per day. It earns around Rs.45 crore in a year. The Division has been in the forefront for providing various amenities to passengers in the last couple of years with special focus on maintaining cleanliness in the Railway premises.

New Delhi Railway Station had bagged this award for two consecutive years, 2009-10 and 2010-11