Southern Railway has set up additional passenger facilities at Thiruvananthapuram Central in line with its expansion/upgradation programme envisaged under the `Touch & Feel' concept.

The Member of Parliament, Mr Pannyan Raveendran, inaugurated these facilities at a function here on Friday in the presence of the Divisional Railway Manager, Mr S. Vijayakumaran.

An air-conditioned dormitory, improved and extended parking and new pedestrian entry were the new facilities opened. The Rs 15-lakh dormitory will have nine beds in exclusive `hut' format for as many passengers, with locking and storing facilities. Daily charges per bed have been fixed at Rs 200.

Thiruvananthapuram Central handles about two lakh passengers every day, a sizeable number being daily commuters. Parking has been a major problem at the station, which is now being addressed as part of the `Touch & Feel' initiative.

An additional 1,500 sq m has been provided for parking vehicles, which takes the total area available to 5,500 sq m. Covered area admeasures to 400 sq m, use of which will be charged at a higher rate. These works have been executed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh.

In the third initiative, a new pedestrian entry has been provided to the Central Station on the west side, opposite to the main bus terminal. This is expected to facilitate direct and easy entry to season ticket holders.

A Southern Railway spokesman hoped that the new entry would help prevent the trespassing of `vulnerable' area near the Railway Police Station and the Parcel Office. Passengers have been advised to use the new entry and avoid trespassing the track.

The work on the new gate was done at a cost of Rs 8 lakh, and involved the raising of Platform No 1 towards Kollam and building of a retaining wall to the Amayizhanjan drain alongside.