Transforming Indian Railway Stations via Open Innovation

March 2, 2018 By IdeaConnection

Indian Railways is embarking on an ambitious project and has turned to open innovation for help in achieving its goals.

India’s national railway system wants to revamp more than 600 major railway stations across the country to provide better amenities and greater comfort for its many passengers.

The aim of redeveloping the railway stations was announced by India’s finance minister in parliament on February 1. To make it happen the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) has launched the Station Rejuvenation through joint Action competition inviting architects, engineers, urban planners, citizens, and other interested parties to submit their plans and ideas.

Talking about the initiative Sanjeev Kumar Lohia, Managing Director and CEO of IRSDC, said: “It’s a first-of-its-kind crowdsourcing competition open to all to invite innovative, scalable, low-cost-and-high-impact ideas from stakeholders for upgrading the look and feel of the railway stations and thereby transform the functional utility, raise the revenue generation capacity and lower operations and maintenance cost of railway stations.”

The IRSDC was created in 2012 with the express purpose of transforming the country’s railway stations.

The creators of the winning designs will have the opportunity to work with the IRSDC on putting their plans into action.

Tagline and Logo Competition

At the same time the IRSDC has launched separate open innovation competitions for a new logo and tagline. The winners of these contests will receive cash prize awards of 75,000 Indian Rupees. That works out at approximately USD $1,150.

The closing date for submissions to all three contests is March 26, 2018.


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Reader Comments


1. The station & platforms along with each compartment of the train must be accessible by the elderly, children & be made disabled friendly. A simple safety check / audit would eliminate anything that may pose a risk or hazard.

Provision of ramps would encourage use of wheelchairs, trolleys & luggages with wheels by passengers like airports.

2. Restrictions of non travellers to platforms may reduce half of filth. But putting white or a light colour everywhere on platforms & placement of adequate dustbins would reduce garbage thrown by passengers just like the airports. Platforms should be well lit and covered to the extent possible. Air-conditioned seating area may be created on every platform for passengers travelling AC class, or for all passengers taking a small user fee.

3. Designs of airport lounges and seating arrangement could be replicated on platforms and even in trains. The seats can be made of aluminium alloys with a adequate layer of foam & cover, instead of current bulky heavy seats to accommodate more seats.

Often platforms serve as night shelter for the underprivileged. That can be stopped by creating similar space adjacent to each station by the railways as a CSR. But strict enforcement must be ensured to stop non travellers to go to platforms.

4. Adequate washrooms on each platform would reduce people urinating or defecating in the open around the platforms.

5. The vendors may be provided with sleek cabins on wheels instead of current bulky area to reduce filth.

I offer to redesign and transform the Balasore Station under SER, in Odisha at a very economical cost as a sample if Railways would allow & agree to spend the money.
Posted by Amit Behera on March 10, 2018

Turn them into holy places
Posted by [email protected] on March 7, 2018

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