Soon, NF Railways to install lifts in all major stations

Darjeeling: The Northern Frontier Railways will soon be installing lifts in all major railway stations across the zone, including New Jalpaiguri and Guwahati. Many of these stations are already fitted with escalators. The NF Railways has plans to install additional escalators in these stations.

"The lifts will facilitate the movement of passengers from the platform level to the foot-bridge. It would specially help the senior citizens, the sick and also the specially-abled, who find it difficult to cross over from one platform to the other," stated Pranay Jyoti Sharma, chief public relations officer, NF Railways.

The lifts will be having a capacity of 11 persons and will be backed up by uninterrupted power supply. "The lifts will be functional round the clock," added Sharma.

In the first phase, 2 lifts will be installed at the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station, 1 at Katihar, 1 at New Cooch Behar, 3 at Guwahati, 2 at Lumding and 1 at Tinsukia. "We expect to complete installation of these 7 lifts by September 2018" stated Sharma.

In the second phase, 17 lifts will be commissioned. Out of these, 2 will be installed at Kishangunj, 2 at Katihar, 2 at New Cooch Behar, 3 at Guwahati, 2 at Kamakhya, 2 at Lumding, 1 at Tinsukia and 2 at Dibrugarh.

Two escalators, including one at the NJP station and one at the Guwahati station are already functional. "The NF Railways has plans to install additional escalators in these stations, along with other important stations of the zone," added Sharma.

Two additional escalators will be installed at NJP, 2 at New Cooch Behar, 2 at Rangiya, 2 at Guwahati, 2 at Katihar, 2 at Tinsukia, 2 at Kishangunj, 2 at Lumding and 2 at Kamakhya. The escalators are scheduled to be commissioned by December this year.