Ahmedabad railway station: Passengers seek better waiting rooms, water access at Rail Jan Samvad
Synopsis
Western Railway's Ahmedabad division took its cleanliness campaign to the public on 22 October, with Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash directly engaging passengers and auto-rickshaw drivers at Ahmedabad station. Commuters flagged waiting room shortages, platform hygiene gaps, and water access issues — and officials promised a prioritised, phased action plan in response.
Key Takeaways
Western Railway held the Rail Jan Samvad feedback drive on 22 October 2026 as part of Special Cleanliness Campaign 6.0 .
The programme covered 107 stations in the Ahmedabad division, with senior officials at 39 major stations .
Passengers at Ahmedabad railway station demanded a separate waiting room , improved cleanliness on platforms 3 and 4 , and better drinking water access.
Late-night travellers in the air-conditioned waiting room flagged inadequate seating space.
DRM Ved Prakash said immediate issues would be resolved on priority, with a phased plan for medium- and long-term infrastructure demands.
Passengers at Ahmedabad railway station raised concerns over inadequate waiting areas, cleanliness on platforms 3 and 4, and limited access to drinking water and handwashing facilities during the 'Rail Jan Samvad' programme organised by Western Railway on 22 October 2026. The feedback drive was conducted as part of 'Special Cleanliness Campaign 6.0' across 107 stations in the Ahmedabad division.
Key Passenger Demands
Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash personally interacted with commuters at Ahmedabad railway station, seeking their views on cleanliness, waiting areas, drinking water, washrooms, and other passenger amenities. One passenger expressed overall satisfaction with toilet facilities and cleanliness but urged the railway to provide a dedicated waiting room. Another flagged that platforms 3 and 4 required improved sanitation and better drinking water access. Passengers using the air-conditioned waiting room for late-night trains also cited insufficient seating as a pressing concern.
Feedback from Auto-Rickshaw Drivers
Prakash also stepped outside the station premises to speak with auto-rickshaw drivers about parking arrangements and vehicle operations. One driver, who operates through an online transport application, said: 'I am not facing any particular difficulty at the station.' Drivers also noted visible improvements in parking facilities at Sabarmati railway station, suggesting that infrastructure upgrades at one node are beginning to show results.
What Officials Said
Speaking to the media, DRM Ved Prakash said the feedback would be categorised by nature and priority. 'Matters that could be resolved immediately would be taken up on priority, while a phased action plan would be prepared for medium- and long-term requirements. Infrastructure-related demands would be processed through the prescribed procedures,' he said. The assurance signals a structured rather than ad-hoc response to commuter concerns — a departure from how such feedback drives have sometimes been handled in the past.
Scale and Scope of the Campaign
The Rail Jan Samvad programme covered 107 stations across the Ahmedabad division on Thursday. Senior divisional officials directly engaged passengers at 39 major stations, while station superintendents and station masters collected feedback at the remaining locations. Railway officials also boarded trains to gather passenger experiences on the move. Complementing the feedback exercise, street plays were staged at stations across the division to promote cleanliness, proper waste disposal, and e-waste management awareness.
Background and Broader Context
The 'Special Cleanliness Campaign 6.0' is a recurring central government initiative aimed at improving hygiene and public service delivery across government premises, including railway infrastructure. Western Railway's Ahmedabad division has been an active participant in previous editions. Notably, direct engagement between divisional management and end-users remains relatively uncommon in large railway divisions, making structured outreach like Rail Jan Samvad a meaningful step toward accountability. The outcome of this round's feedback — particularly around waiting room expansion and platform sanitation — will be closely watched by regular commuters at one of Gujarat's busiest transit hubs.
Point of View
But its value depends entirely on follow-through. Indian railway stations have hosted countless feedback drives that produced thick reports and thin outcomes. The specificity of passenger demands here — a separate waiting room, cleaner platforms 3 and 4, more seating in the AC lounge — is actually useful precisely because it is actionable. DRM Prakash's commitment to a tiered action plan is the right framing; the test is whether there is a public-facing accountability mechanism to track which demands were resolved and in what timeframe. Without that, the campaign risks being better optics than operations.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rail Jan Samvad programme at Ahmedabad railway station?
Rail Jan Samvad is a passenger feedback initiative organised by Western Railway in which divisional officials directly interact with commuters to assess cleanliness, waiting areas, water facilities, and other amenities. The 22 October 2026 edition was part of Special Cleanliness Campaign 6.0 and covered 107 stations in the Ahmedabad division.
What did passengers demand at Ahmedabad railway station?
Passengers called for a dedicated waiting room, improved cleanliness on platforms 3 and 4, easier access to drinking water and handwashing facilities, and adequate seating in the air-conditioned waiting room for late-night travellers.
Who led the feedback drive at Ahmedabad station?
Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash personally interacted with passengers and auto-rickshaw drivers at Ahmedabad railway station during the Rail Jan Samvad programme on 22 October 2026.
How will Western Railway act on the feedback received?
DRM Ved Prakash said issues would be categorised by priority. Matters resolvable immediately would be addressed first, a phased action plan would be drawn up for medium- and long-term needs, and infrastructure-related demands would be routed through prescribed procedures.
How many stations were covered under Special Cleanliness Campaign 6.0 in the Ahmedabad division?
The Rail Jan Samvad programme covered 107 stations across the Ahmedabad division, with senior officials engaging passengers directly at 39 major stations and station superintendents collecting feedback at the rest.
