Integrated Approach To Sustainable Development of Indian Railway Stations - Thesis Report-170731094812

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF
INDIAN RAILWAY STATIONS
Final Thesis Report

For
M.ARCH. (BY RESEARCH)

Board of Studies in Architecture
Faculty of Engineering & Technology
Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University
Nagpur
Submitted by
MS. G. SATYALAXMI NAIDU
Under the guidance of
A. D. SHIRODKAR
Professor
Department of Architecture, M. I. E. T., Gondia
Research Centre
Manoharbhai Patel Institute of Engineering and Technology, Gondia

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that MS. G. SATYALAXMI NAIDU has carried out the work
on the topic ‘Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development of Indian
Railway Stations’ at the Department of Architecture, Manoharbhai Patel
Institute of Engineering & Technology during the period May 2008 to June
2012. The said work is comprehensive and is in accordance with the
requirements of the ordinance relating to the award of the degree of M. Arch.
(By Research) of R. T. M. Nagpur University. Hence it is forwarded to the
Research and Recognition Committee of Master of Architecture (By
Research), under the Board of Studies in Architecture, in the faculty of
Engineering and Technology.
Prof. A. D. Shirodkar Dr. V. R. Chandrayan

Department of Architecture Dean, R & D Cell,
M. I. E. T. M. I. E. T.
Gondia Gondia
Dr. S. S. Rathore
Principal
M. I. E. T.
Gondia
I
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the work presented in this thesis entitled ‘Integrated
Approach to Sustainable Development of Indian Railway Stations’ is, to
the best of my knowledge and belief, the own work of MS. G. SATYALAXMI
NAIDU conducted in the Department of Architecture, Manoharbhai Patel
Institute of Engineering and Technology Gondia, under my supervision.
This work has not been submitted earlier to any University / Institution for any
diploma or degree. It is up to the desired standard, both in respect of the
contents and language and is fit for evaluation for the degree of M. Arch. (By
Research) of R. T. M. Nagpur University.
Prof. A. D. Shirodkar
Department of Architecture
M.I.E.T.
Gondia
II
DECLARATION
I, the undersigned do hereby solemnly declare that the work presented in this
thesis entitled ‘Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development of
Indian Railway Stations’ was carried out by me under the supervision of
Prof. A. D. Shirodkar, Department of Architecture, M. I. E. T., Gondia, from
May 2008 to June 2012
This work is based on original research and neither the entire work nor any
part of it has been submitted by me to any other University / Institution for the
award of any diploma or degree.
G. Satyalaxmi Naidu
Dated:
III
Acknowledgements
There have been three major driving forces acting right throughout; the
resultant of these forces clubbed with my own efforts is the outcome in the
form of this report. I strongly believe that this work would have been just
impossible for me to perceive and move ahead without the support of my soul
mate who has been an unsparing critic at all critical junctures.
One of the most genuine requirements of this report was supporting the
points with certain data extracted from official documents, in this regard the
cooperation and support extended to me by my brother-in-law Mr. G. M. S.
Naidu (IRTS) was incredible.
My guide Prof. Shirodkar helped me out in every possible way, right from
encouraging me to go for this course, providing details of conferences and
technical papers, forcing me to write those papers, by meeting the deadlines
and by providing valuable and rare print resources. He gave final shape to
this report by editing and rectifying the language, thus improving the overall
quality of the report. I am honored to have such special people around me
who are my well wishers in a true sense.
I cannot forget the little but valuable help of some of my student friends who
helped me out with the CAD drawings at a few places.
I am definitely grateful to my mother-in-law for supporting me beyond all the

laws of ‘in-laws’. The sweet smiling faces of my two lovely daughters always
worked like a catalyst for my endeavor.
The credits also go to the staff of SECR Raipur, who helped me out with field
surveys conducted at station premises.
Last but not the least, this report would not have seen the light of the day if
my Institute had not allowed me to carry out the research work. I am grateful
to one and all that were responsible for the same.
Date: G.Satyalaxmi Naidu
IV
Preface
If there is anything else as complex, vast, deep, huge, humongous, intricate,

perplexing, and confusing and complicated as the Indian Railways it is the
mind of a woman. Surely the enterprise is no shining example of Swiss
clockwork precision, Japanese technology, Italian glamour or German
efficiency, but it gets the job done for 7 billion passengers annually (statistics
taken from IR Annual Report 2010-11), equivalent to the entire global
population. This huge mass is served by around 8500 stations across the
country
This project Sustainable Station or Sus-stations is about a new genre of

sustainable, low carbon stations in India. Railway stations in India are a
hugely complex setup; to date there is very limited progress with introducing
sustainable measures in station buildings. This is a lost opportunity because
there are so many stations at the heart of the communities they serve; their
accessibility makes them ideal demonstration locations. This project may
change the rail industry and help tackle climate change.
The project proposes more sustainable construction and management of

station buildings with lower carbon emissions from the rail sector, passive
heating & cooling, the use of low embodied energy materials in construction,
renewable energy options like PV & Piezoelectric floors and water & waste
management in stations. The project will also demonstrate the use of non-
toxic and non-polluting alternatives to conventional materials, creating a rail
industry environment which encourages sustainable stations
A sustainability assessment tool may be developed for Sus-stations or

sustainable stations, a tool that is tailored to the Indian rail sector and that
offers flexible application to new buildings, retrofitting and operation of station
buildings. It may also support an accreditation & branding scheme.
It is imperative that urban planners, urban designers and architects make a

swift move to work with the rail industry, government, public and youth, to
change attitudes about sustainable railways. Finally, the use of stations for
dissemination and as focal points in communities is an innovative approach.
V
Contents
Chapter
1. Introduction ………………………………………………………… 1
2. Theories and Practices in Sustainable Development: An
Overview ……………………………………………………………. 7
3. Indian Railways: Pride of the Country …………………………… 29
4. Railway Architecture …………………………………………….. 37
5. Sustainable Development of Railway Stations in India: An
Integrated Approach ………………………………………………. 59
6. Building Management: An Effective Tool for Sustainable
Development in Railway Stations………………………………... 73
7. Energy Management: The Legitimate Need for Sustainable
Future……………………………………………………………….. 101
8. Water Management in Railway Stations………………………… 119
9. Management of Waste: A Genuine Need in Railway Stations… 139
10. Conclusions for a Holistic Approach……………………………… 157
List of Figures
1.1 Four pillars of sustainable development in railway stations 5

2.1 Venn diagram showing the three dimensions of sustainability 11
2.2 The six major issues of sustainable development in building industry 11
2.3 The four major correlated concepts of sustainability in building
industry 18
3.1 A picture of steam engine with the Taj in background, shows the
glorious past of Indian Railway 31
4.1 Schematic layout of station called as halt 44
4.2 Layout of flag station 44
4.3 Layout of crossing station 44
4.4 Schematic layout of junction station 44
4.5 Schematic layout of terminal station 45
4.6 The inter relationship between the four major functional areas
constituting an intermodal station 45
4.7 Typical layout of Indian stations highlighting proximity to major
activity areas 47
4.8 Schematic layout of station showing types of platforms 53
4.9 Typical cross section of platform with shelter and position of train on
track 54
5.1 Sun path diagram for Raipur 67
5.2 Railway map of Chhattisgarh state with a few recent photographs of
Raipur railway station 69
5.3 Schematic plan of Raipur railway station 70
6.1 Illustrations of advanced solar passive heating and cooling
techniques 78
6.2 Map showing six major climatic zones of Indian sub-continent 80
6.3 Face lifting of southern façade of station building at Raipur 89
6.4 Station building at Thiruvanathapuram at Kerala, a unique design
with granite slabs 91
6.5 Grand view of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai, mother of all
railway buildings in India 92
VII
List of Figures
(Continued)
6.6 Standard design of platform shelter and foot over bridge with heavy
steel members seen in the photograph 94
6.7 Typical layout of Indian railway stations with the platforms and
station building parallel to track 95
6.8 Relation of surface to volume with masses of same volume 96
6.9 Provision of sun-space and sky-light in the southern façade of
station buildings in colder regions 96
6.10 Roof of station buildings may be designed with solar chimney
suitable equally for cold, warm and composite climatic regions 96
6.11 Provision of fountains for adding humidity to air 97
6.12 Cross ventilation in buildings to overcome excessive humidity levels 97
6.13 Heat reflecting properties of radiant barrier 97
6.14 Solarcrete block and wall 97
7.1 Ratio of embodied energy to operational energy consumed in
Buildings 102
7.2 Electrical energy produced from mechanical pressure in piezo
elements 107
7.3 Separation of charge in individual atoms by pressure 107
7.4 Provision of piezoelectric floor at ticket gates 108
7.5 Provision of piezoelectric floor along the safety edge of platforms 108
7.6 Solar bricks for parking lots and pathways of station premises 109
7.7 Various shapes of solar bricks, with options for colored led lights 109
7.8 Proposal of redesigning of parking area at Raipur station with solar
bricks on kerb 110
7.9 Schematic plan of Raipur railway station identifying the rooftop
areas for locating PV panels 113
7.10 Proposed schematic section of platform shelter for platform no. 5 &
6 showing mounting of PV arrays over it. 114
7.11 Schematic Section of platform Shelter for Platform Number 1 & 4
showing mounting of PV arrays 114
VIII
List of Figures
(Continued)
8.1 Schematic plan of Raipur railway station showing Inspection

chambers, location of drains and section of drain 128
8.2 The surfaces identified for the purpose of calculating rain water
harvesting potential in stations 129
8.3 The broad gauge track with washable apron and open drain filled
with gray water, seen in Raipur station 132
8.4 Details of recharge structure proposed for gray/storm water
collected from open drains along the track 133
8.5 Details of proposal of strom water collection and storage tank below
the platform slab 135
8.6 Down spout from the eaves gutter of platform shelter 135
8.7 The standard detail of plinth of the platform 136
8.8 A Water conserving concept of washing the aprons with spray of
water through pressure jets 136
9.1 Schematic plan of railway staiton at raipur showing sewage
collection details 143
9.2 Managing waste a systematic and planned approach 149
9.3 Use of plastic bottles for making arch and wall in stations 153
9.4 Bottles used as fillers for making mud wall and wall for cistern 154
IX
List of Tables
1.1 Three stages of research in a sequence 6

2.1 Aspects of sustainable urban design to be considered for specific site 12
2.2 Green features for building materials at three consecutive stages 14
2.3 Table showing hierarchy for waste management 16
2.4 Interpretation of term waste as verb and waste as noun 16
2.5 Sub themes of sustainable construction with related issues 19
2.6 Environment building fabric and building technologies, key elements
to ecological buildings 21
2.7 Strategies of sustainable development at three consecutive phases 25
4.1 List of minimum essential amenities for each category of station 39
4.2 Scale of minimum essential amenities for each category of station 40
4.3 Norms for provision of passenger amenities at the recommended
level 41
4.4 Provision of passenger amenities at desirable level 42
4.5 Functional standards for four major areas in a railway station 46
4.6 Details of level of service (LOS) norms 48
4.7 Details of sample capacity calculation in waiting areas and lounges 51
5.1 Table showing details of temperature and rainfall at Raipur district 61
5.2 Climate guide of Raipur district 67
5.3 Details of railway zones across the country 68
5.4 Details of passenger amenities at Raipur station 71
5.5 Summery of passenger amenities at Raipur 72
5.6 Details of ticket sale per day and number of trains crossing
Raipur junction per day 72
6.1 Simple solar passive techniques 76
6.2 Types of advanced solar passive techniques 77
6.3 Adaptability of advanced solar passive techniques 79
6.4 Comparative energy requirements for various building materials 84
6.5 Classification of materials as per energy intensity 84
6.6 Criteria of calculating embodied energy of a material 85
6.7 A list of cost effective construction techniques for various building
elements 87
6.8 Parking provisions for peak demand in stations 99
XI
List of Tables
(Continued)
7.1 Table showing Consumption of electricity and diesel for traction and
non-traction use in railways 106
7.2 Recommended tilt of solar panels at various places 112
8.1 The four major connotations for water management in buildings 120
8.2 A list of runoff coefficients for commonly used surfaces 126
8.3 Selection of appropriate diameter of storm water collection
pipe according to average rainfall in an hour 137
9.1 Types of waste matter generated in railway stations 141
9.2 Questionnaire for trash audit in railway station at Raipur 145
9.3 Typical thermoplastics and thermo-set resins 151
9.4 Categorization of plastics 151
9.5 Packaging applications of thermoplastics in railway stations 152
10.1 Research Methodology (for further studies) 160
XII
List of Boxes
and
Annexure
Boxes
7.1 E-news from power sector regarding application of solar panels in

railways 104
7.2 News extract from The Hitavada (Nagpur edition) regarding crowd
farms with piezoelectric cells 105
7.3 News clipping from Dainik Bhaskar (Raipur-Hindi edition) regarding
energy crisis in Raipur station 118
8.1 News extract from Dainik Bhaskar (Raipur-Hindi edition) regarding
water scarcity in railway stations during peak summers 122
8.2 News from on line edition of India’s national newspaper The Hindu
regarding water harvesting provisions in DMRC Delhi. 138
9.1 News article regarding new methods of waste disposal to be
implemented for entrained passengers 156
10.1 E- news regarding revising the design of platform shelters 162
Annexure
I List of publications 164

II Scanned copy of commendation certificate awarded for best paper
in annual convention and seminar organized by Indian Building
Congress at New Delhi. 165
XIII
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Contents:
1.1 Deciding the Field and Title of the Research Work

1.2 Need of Such Research Work in Today’s Context
1.3 Scope of the Research Work
1.4 Extent and Limitations of the Research Work
1.5 Aims and Objectives
1.6 Research Methodology
1.7 Hypothesis
1
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Deciding the Field and Title of the Research Work:
There have been three major forces behind selection of the specific field and eventually the
title for the research work –
• Railways…. the lifeline of Indian masses, by virtue of its widespread track network
across the country, integrates the nation and showcases Indian culture and tradition
to the travelers, home and abroad. Right from my childhood days, traveling by train
has been a pleasant experience for me. This is perhaps the natural driving force that
compelled me to think and do something related to the railways….
• Belonging to the field of designing it has always been my endeavor to look for cost
effective means of construction, now when I am into teaching, I find myself inclined
towards green concepts and solutions, which is a sure shot goal to cost effective
construction in the long run and of course an important tool for sustainable
development.
• Having a Class-I officer of the Indian Railways as one of my close relatives has been
a fateful factor for me. It is always an act full of wisdom to select a topic for which the
relevant information, authentic & factual data is available effortlessly; as gathering
information is like half the work done, so is the benefit bestowed upon me…
After having long discussions with my supervisor, out of half a dozen titles the most
appropriate one was finalized as:
‘INTEGRATED APPROACH TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN

RAILWAY STATIONS’
1.2 Need of Such Research Work in Today’s Context:
Construction forms a very important activity in our country and this sector contributes to
approximately 10% of GDP. The Indian industry, having gone through a transition from
protected market to globally competitive markets, has slowly been changing the way it does
business. This has indeed unfolded a plethora of opportunities and challenges alike. The
industry is now recognizing the role of environmental management as a tool to enhance
2
competitiveness. In the 20th century environmental management meant working on

strategies to comply with the pollution control norms.
Today the whole approach has undergone a major shift. Corporate houses are voluntarily in
search of ‘Green’ pursuits. Green is the pursuit of any activity, which encompasses
concern for energy efficiency, environment, water conservation, use of recycled
products and renewable energy. For sustainable development in the building industry
all the above mentioned concerns should be addressed together.
The surveys and observations reveal that in the sector of building industry one can notice
and acknowledge number of such projects from private to public buildings, where the
principles of green buildings and sustainable development have been applied and that the
buildings are certified by authorities and functioning well. At the same time it is also realized
that there is a great need to apply, showcase and encourage the practices of these concepts
by virtue of buildings that attract large number of people.
At this point of time the buildings like transportation hubs are perhaps one of such major
areas where there is a great scope and need of conserving resources and protecting the
environment for a safe and better future. The literature surveys and observations reveal
another bitter fact that, despite having a great scope of applying all the techniques for
protecting the environment and conserving the resources like water & energy in transport
hubs like airports, bus terminus and railway stations in our country, the efforts towards this
end are still thin on grounds.
1.3 Scope of the Research Work:
Indian Railway is the second largest railway system in the world. Railway stations function
not only as interchange for trains & other transport forms but also for commercial and social
interaction. In fact, they potentially serve as “drivers of urban development” hence are
undisputedly important for urban form and sustainable development of urban fabric.
• Railway transport is the most widely used transport system by common Indian masses.
The station buildings which incidentally are the ‘built-form identity’ of the railways
therefore, offer great scope for the said research work.
• At present there are more than 8,000 railway stations serving a widespread network of
railway tracks across the country, where applying green pursuits will not only lead to a
3
better self sustainable future but at the same time improve the economic bottom line of
the railways.
• The most attractive feature of the research work is that the proposals of environment
protection and resource conservation can easily be implemented in the existing station
buildings with minimum renovation and modifications.
• At the same time if the new stations are built by incorporating the proposals suggested in
the research, then this work should definitely prove to be a great contribution to the
building industry which incidentally is striving hard for a green and sustainable future.
1.4 Extent and Limitations of the Research Work:
An overview of the scope of works being undertaken by the Land & Amenities Directorate of
the Indian Railways gives a clear idea of the vast and widespread establishment of railways
in the country. The research work under the title of ‘Integrated Approach to Sustainable
Development of Indian Railway Stations’ can thus, be restricted to railway station premises
only. The thrust of the study is over following major activity areas of the premises:
• Railway Platforms with the Tracks

• Station Building Complex
• Reservation Office
• Parcel Booking Office and
• Parking areas
 The research work primarily deals with the study and analysis of various energy
efficient technologies applicable for station premises and a compilation of the
same for reference.
 It also covers formulation of appropriate guidelines thereafter for development/
redevelopment (planning and designing) of station premises. These will be
supported by calculations and schematic diagrams, charts, Venn diagrams, and
annexure wherever necessary.
 At places, extracts from news bulletins, newspaper cuttings, fax copies etc. will
be attached to be used as a documentary evidence to prove the authenticity of
the findings and genuine requirement of the same.
 The remaining areas like railway maintenance workshops, goods sheds, station
yards etc. are specifically kept out of the scope of this work.
4
 For the purpose of setting out guidelines and also for the findings based on
calculations Raipur railway station is selected as a model. However book and net
studies of certain other big and small stations have been carried out and
mentioned only in order to get the data base required for the research work.
 Detailed proposal drawings will not be provided as a part of this research work.
 The sustainable development of railway station premises is suggested
considering the cost, climate and culture sensitive approach to planning and
designing of stations by considering only management of lifeline services i.e.
water supply, electrical services and sanitation. The other special services like
vertical transportation, air conditioning, fire safety etc are not dealt in detail.
1.5 Aims and Objectives:
The present work aims at studying the current scenario of railway stations in India, collecting
data on green pursuits, formulating appropriate solutions & guidelines recommending
sustainable development/redevelopment of new and existing railway stations under following
subheads:
Energy Management
Water Management
Sustainable Development of Railway
Building Management
Stations
Waste Management
Figure1.1 – Four pillars of sustainable development in railway stations
5
1.6 Research Methodology:
The project can be handled comprehensively in three stages as mentioned below –
Comprehensive study of some of the existing railway station buildings to

identify the problem areas relevant to the issues.
Litrrature Survey and compilation of tecnologies related to Environment

protection and resource management
Reconciliation to get a solid data basis and a realistic view of specific

requirements for railway stations and formulating guidelines accordingly
Table 1.1 – Three stages of research work in a sequence
1.7 Hypothesis:
A Railway Station with all possible energy efficient technologies clubbed together and with
resource management techniques applied in planning, designing, construction, maintenance
and operation of building envelope, should serve as a role model for new railway stations in
the country.
• The primary goal is to provide a safe, reliable, cost-effective, easy to maintain and
customer oriented public transportation system.
• The station building should be self sufficient, as far as possible, for resources like
water and power
• The station building and platform shelters should be based on climate responsive
design.
• The station premises should function on the principle of 3R’s.
6
CHAPTER 2
Theories and Practices
in
Sustainable Development:
An Overview
Contents:
2.1 Prologue
2.1.1 A Call for Action
2.1.2 Building Industry through the Lens of Sustainability
2.2 Sustainable Development
2.2.1 Viewpoints
2.2.2 Three Dimensions of Sustainability
2.2.3 Issues in Sustainable Development
2.3 Concepts of Sustainable Development
2.4 Strategies of Sustainable Development
2.4.1 Processes
2.4.2 Operation and Maintenance
2.4.3 Assessment
2.5 Goals of Sustainable Development
2.5.1 Environmental Sustainability
2.5.2 Cultural Sustainability
2.5.3 Economic Sustainability
References:
Print Resources
• Abraham L.E., Agnello S. & others, Sustainable Building Technical
Manual: Green Building Design, construction and Operation, USGBC
and Public Technologies, Inc.1996
• Medler Sandra & Odell William, The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable
Design, John Wiley & sons,Inc.,Canada.2000
• Proceedings of Journal of Indian building Congress, Volume - 13
Number – 3, Seminar on ‘Green Buildings’ December 15-16,2006 at
Raipur (Chhattisgarh)India
• Sustainable Building Design Manual Volumes 1 & 2, The Energy and
Resource Institute New Delhi India. 2004
Web Resources
• http://www.greenbuilder.com (Source Book on Sustainable Design)
• http://www.igbc.in
• http://www.usgbc.org
• www.arch.hku.hk
• www.sustainable–buildings.org
7
Chapter 2: THEORIES AND PRACTICES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: AN OVERVIEW
2.1 Prologue:
In olden times the survivors of dying communities could move on to less populated more
fertile areas, but today there is no such option left with us! Do those living today owe
anything to the future? If “Yes”, then we must determine now as to what and how much we
can owe to future generations, least our present course continues unabated too far into the
twenty-first century, eventually to destroy options for all generations to come.
2.1.1 A Call for Action: In the building industry, Eco friendly, Go Green and Carbon
Footprints have become trendy buzz words these days. But behind the buzz, there is a real
need for each of us to take action – action that will protect and revive our planet that is
groaning under the strain of too many people using too few resources. The most important
point here is that building professionals and owners must think of themselves as human
beings first and that their professional work is done in service to the community. The
community in turn should attempt to not only conserve the resources but restore them.
Beyond our professional practices as human being and citizens, there is much more that we
can do.
2.1.2 Building Industry through the Lens of Sustainability: The Indian construction
industry, an integral part of the economy and a conduit for substantial parts of its
development investment, is poised for growth on account of industrialization, urbanization,
economic development and people’s rising expectations for improved quality of living.
Construction constitutes 40% to 50% of capital expenditure on projects in various sectors
such as highways, roads, railways, energy, airports and irrigation etc. Construction forms a
very important activity of our country and this sector contributes to 10% of GDP towards
country’s economic growth. The Indian building industry having gone through a transition
from protected markets to globally competitive market has slowly been changing the way it
used to do business. This has indeed unfolded a plethora of opportunities and challenges
alike. The industry is now recognizing the role of Environment Management as a tool to
enhance competitiveness. In the 20th century, environment management would mean
working on strategies to comply with pollution control norms. Today the whole approach has
undergone a major shift. All the public and private sectors are in search of Green Pursuits.
Green pursuits encompass concerns for energy efficiency, environment protection and water
conservation which are a part of sustainable development strategies. Going Green for
buildings has become more or less a necessity, both for the sake of global competitiveness
and for a sustainable future.
8
By far the construction industry is considered as the largest consumer of energy and natural
resources. As a rough estimate about 40% of energy and about 50% of natural resources
globally are utilized by the construction industry, therefore more emphasis is given to the use
of building materials that consume lesser inbuilt energy in their production and deploy new
technologies that require lesser energy. (Source: IBC Samachar, April 2011)
2.2 Sustainable Development:
2.2.1 Viewpoints: There are over a hundred definitions of sustainability and sustainable
development but the best known is the one given by the World Commission on Environment
and Development (WCED). This suggests that development is sustainable “where it meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs."
Many other definitions of sustainable development have also been offered, some general
and some more precise. The following illustrates the variety of foci evident in discussions of
sustainable development.
• Sustainable development is maintaining a delicate balance between the human need to
improve lifestyles and feeling of well-being on one hand, and preserving natural
resources and ecosystems, on which we and future generations depend.
• According to the WCED, sustainable development implies economic growth together
with the protection of environmental quality, each reinforcing the other. The essence of
this form of development is a stable relationship between human activities and the
natural world, which does not diminish the prospects for future generations to enjoy a
quality of life at least as good as our own. Many observers believe that participatory
democracy, not dominated by vested interests, is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable
development. (Source: Mintzer, 1992).
• The guiding rules are that people must share with each other and care for the Earth.
Humanity must take no more from nature than nature can replenish. This in turn means
adopting lifestyles and development paths that respect and work within nature's limits. It
can be done without rejecting the many benefits that modern technology has brought,
provided that technology also works within those limits (Source: Caring for the Earth, IUCN, p8.)
• The term also refers to achieving economic and social development in ways that do not
exhaust a country's natural resources. Also written in Ashford (1995) and The World
Commission on Environment and Development (1987). In the Commission's words:
“........ sustainable development is ….... a process of change in which the exploitation of
9
resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development,

and institutional change are made consistent with the future as well as present needs".
• Sustainable development respects the limited capacity of an ecosystem to absorb the
impact of human activities.
• Some people also believe that the concept of sustainable development should include
preserving the environment for other species as well as for people.
• Sustainable development is also defined as a pattern of social and structured economic
transformations i.e. development.
• The development which optimizes the economic and societal benefits available in the
present, without jeopardizing the likely potentials for similar benefits in the future.
• Sustainable means as a resource is used it is replaced by growing additional amount of
resources. How can we otherwise meet the needs of today without diminishing the
capacity of future generations to meet their own needs?
• Sustainable development implies a broad view of human welfare, a long term
perspective about the consequences of today’s activities and global co-operation to
reach viable solutions.
• It is a socio–ecological process characterized by the fulfillment of human needs while
maintaining the quality of natural environment indefinitely.
Having gone through the various view points about the issue, the definition can be simply
and in the most relevant way derived for all the professionals belonging to building industry,
as, “The development in which the builders, architects, designers, community
planners and real estate developers strive to create buildings and communities that
will not deplete natural resources. The goal is to meet today’s needs using renewable
resources so that the needs of future generations will be safeguarded”.
Sustainable development is a phrase, a symbol, a slogan, a concept, a process, an action, a
pathway, a guideline, a desire, a motivation, a mechanism, a measurement, an aim, a
method, a result, an outcome, an interaction, a relationship, as well as any other possible
interpretation.
2.2.2 Three Dimensions of sustainability: If taken in a broader perspective, sustainable

development shall ensure human welfare only when all the three major aspects of human life
are seen through the common lens of sustainability i.e. Environment, Culture and Economy.
When the same term is used with reference to buildings it can be defined as any building
that is sensitive to the Climate Culture and Cost (the Three C’s) is a manmade feature
10
for a sustainable future. To certain extent, if the building or settlement is environmentally

conscious, it automatically ensures economic and social sustainability of life.
Climate
Sustainable
Buildings
Cost Culture
Figure2.1 – Venn diagram showing the three dimensions of sustainability
2.2.3 Issues in Sustainable Development:
energy
site water
issues
community material
waste
Figure2.2 – The six major issues of sustainable development in building industry
11
Site: The site specific issues can be studied under following three heads:
i. Sustainable Urban Design
ii. Sustainable Transportation
iii. Sustainable Cities and Green Development
i. Sustainable Urban Design

• Principle 1: Increasing Local Self-Sufficiency
• Principle 2: Human Needs
• Principle 3: Structure Development around Energy-Efficient Movement Networks
• Principle 4: The Open Space Network
• Principle 5: Linear Concentration
• Principle 6: An Energy Strategy
• Principle 7: Water Strategy
Landform/Microclimate Site Design Infrastructure Efficiency

Topography Solar orientation Water supply and use
Light-colored surfacing Pedestrian orientation Wastewater collection
Vegetative cooling Transit orientation Storm drainage
Wind buffering/channeling Micro climatic building/site Street lighting
Evaporative cooling planning Traffic signalization
Recycling facilities
Land-Use Transportation On-Site Energy Resources
Use density Integrated, multimodal street Geothermal/groundwater

Use mix network Surface water
Activity concentration Pedestrian Wind
Bicycle Solar
Transit District heating /cooling
High-occupancy vehicles Cogeneration
Pavement minimization Thermal storage
Parking minimization/site Fuel cell power
planning
Table 2.1 – Aspects of sustainable urban design to be considered for specific site
12
ii. Sustainable Transportation

Integrating land-use, transport and environmental planning is important to minimize the need
for travel and to promote efficient and effective mode of transport, including walking. There
are four principal ways to influence transport system efficiency and energy consumption:
• Urban and land-use planning;
• Modal mix (cars, trucks, rail, air, etc.);
• Behavioral and operational aspects (occupancy of vehicles, driver behavior, system
characteristics); and
• Vehicle efficiency and fuel choice.
Pedestrianization is to restrict vehicle access to a street or area for the exclusive use of
pedestrians. It provides a pleasant and safe environment for pedestrians, and is an ideal
venue for shopping, social and cultural activities such as street markets and fairs.
iii. Sustainable Cities and Green Development

The cities are planned and developed taking all the sustainable issues in to consideration.
Such cities as a role model can provide guidelines for the other similar developments
provided the development control rules are emended and implemented.
Energy: Achieving sustainable solutions in this field mainly encompasses energy

efficiency and renewable energy applications.
i. Energy Efficiency
The benefits from the energy-efficient site planning and design of buildings are economic
(money saving), social (reducing fuel poverty); and ecological (reducing resource
exploitation and emissions). Every new development ideally should have an explicit energy
strategy, setting out how these benefits are to be achieved.
Computer energy simulations can be used to assess energy conservation measures early
and throughout the design process. The expanded design team collaborates early in
conceptual design to generate many alternative concepts for building form, envelope and
landscaping, focusing on minimizing peak energy loads, demand and consumption.
Computer energy simulation is used to assess their effectiveness in energy conservation,
and their construction costs. Typically, heating and cooling load reductions from better
glazing, insulation, efficient lighting, day lighting and other measures allows smaller and less
expensive HVAC equipment and systems, resulting in little or no increase in construction
cost compared to conventional designs. Simulations are used to refine designs and ensure
13
that energy-conservation and capital cost goals are met; and to demonstrate compliance
with regulatory requirements.
ii. Renewable Energy

It refers to the power generated by renewable sources, which means when the energy is
generated the resource is not depleted or used up. Unlike fossil fuels; most of the renewable
energy source like solar power, wind, tidal energy, geothermal, biomass etc. does not
release carbon dioxide and other pollutants as bi-products.
Water: Water conservation techniques mainly include the following three aspects
• Conservation of Water in Household Activities: Designing low flush toilets, duel flush
toilets, water less toilets & urinals and composting toilets as per the suitable conditions.
Showers and hand wash basins with water conserving technologies like push taps, flow
control and self closing type can be promoted in private and public places.
• Recycling of Rain Water: By means of several well known water harvesting techniques
the rain water may be recycled for some specific purposes
• Recycling of Grey Water: Lots of grey water can be easily recycled to reuse it for the
purpose of gardening etc.
Materials: The green features can be added for materials by considering few aspects in
three major stages of building construction i.e materials used in manufacturing, materials
used in building operations and materials handled in the last stage under management of
waste.
Table 2.2 – Green features for building materials at three consecutive stages
14
i. Embodied Energy
The quantity of energy required by all the activities associated with a production process,
including the relative proportions consumed in all activities upstream to the acquisition of
natural resources and the share of energy used in making equipment and other supporting
functions. i.e. direct and indirect energy.
The energy input required to quarry, transport and manufacture building materials, plus the
energy used in the construction process, can amount to a quarter of the 'lifetime' energy
requirement of a very energy-efficient building. To reduce embodied energy, without
compromising longevity or efficiency: Re-use existing buildings and structures wherever
possible (provided their energy costs in use can be reduced to an acceptable level).
• Design buildings for long life, with ease of maintenance and adaptability to changing
needs.
• Construct buildings and infrastructure out of local and low- energy materials where
possible.
• Reduce the proportion of high rise, detached or single-storey developments.
• Design layouts which minimize the extent to roadway and utility pipe work per dwelling.
• Create a strategy.
ii. Prefabrication
The technique of prefabrication requires careful planning and time management for
architects, civil engineers, building contractors and project managers and certainly saves a
lot of time, energy and money as the entire scheme of work is well thought of.
Waste:
i. Waste Management Strategies

• Waste prevention
• Recycling construction and demolition materials
• Architectural reuse (include adaptive reuse, conservative disassembly, and reusing
salvaged materials)
• Design for material recovery (durability, disassembly, adaptive reuse)
15
ii. Waste hierarchy
• Suatainable Development
• Prevention
• Reduction
• On-site reuse
• On-site recovery
• Off-site reuse
• Off-site recovery
• Landfill
Table 2.3 – Table showing hierarchy for waste management
It is required to first understand the difference of literal meaning of waste as a verb and
waste as a noun then appropriately using, reducing and reusing the same for the benefit of
environment.
waste v. waste n.
1. to use, consume, spend, or expend 1. a place, region, or land that is uninhabited

thoughtlessly or carelessly or uncultivated
2. to cause to lose energy, strength, or vigor; 2. a devastated or destroyed region, town, or

exhaust, tire, or enfeeble building; a ruin
3. to fail to take advantage of or use for profit 3. a useless or worthless by-product, as from
a manufacturing process
4. to destroy completely 4. garbage; trash
Table 2.4 – Interpretation of term waste as verb and waste as noun
Humans are the only species on Earth that produce waste which is not a raw material or
nutrient for another species. We are the only species to produce wastes that can be broadly
toxic and build up for long periods of time. As William McDonough, Dean of the University Of
Virginia School Of Architecture, has said, a sustainable society would eliminate the concept
of waste. Waste is not simply an unwanted and sometimes harmful by-product of life; it is a
raw material out of place. Waste and pollution demonstrate gross inefficiency in the
16
economic system since they represent resources that are no longer available for use and/or
create harm in humans and other species.
Community:
Sustainable Communities: The new vision of urban living comprises towns, cities and
suburbs offering a high quality of life and opportunity for all .Following are the goals of such
community-
• People shaping the future of their community, supported by strong and truly
representative local leaders
• People living in attractive well kept towns and cities, which use space and buildings well.
• Good design and planning which makes it practical to live in a more environmentally
sustainable way, with less noise, pollution and traffic congestion
In short the communities with sustainable culture sustainable economy and environment
together are known as sustainable communities.
Indoor Environment
• Indoor air quality
• Visual quality
• Acoustic quality
• Noise control
• Controllability of systems
2.3 Concepts of Sustainable Development
"Architecture presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction

projects typically consume large amounts of materials, produce tons of waste, and often
involve weighing the preservation of buildings that have historical significance against the
desire for the development of newer, more modern designs." -- The Earth Pledge)
17
Sustainable Construction Environmental Architecture
concepts of sustainable
development
Ecological Building Green Building
Figure2.3 – The four major co-related concepts of sustainability in building industry
Sustainable Construction
Sustainable construction is defined as "the creation and responsible management of a

healthy built environment based on resource efficient and ecological principles". Sustainably
designed buildings aim to lessen their impact on our environment through energy and
resource efficiency. It includes the following principles:
• minimizing non-renewable resource consumption
• enhancing the natural environment
• eliminating or minimizing the use of toxins
According to an OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Project,

"Sustainable buildings" can be defined as those buildings that have minimum adverse
impact on the built and natural environment, in terms of the buildings themselves, their
immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global setting. "Sustainable building"
may be defined as building practices, which strive for integral quality (including economic,
social and environmental performance) in a very broad way. Thus, the rational use of natural
resources and appropriate management of the building stock will contribute to saving scarce
resources, reducing energy consumption (energy conservation), and improving
environmental quality.
Sustainable building involves considering the entire life cycle of buildings, taking
environmental quality, functional quality and future values into account. The OECD project
has identified five objectives for sustainable buildings:
18
• Resource Efficiency
• Energy Efficiency (including Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction)
• Pollution Prevention (including Indoor Air Quality and Noise Abatement)
• Harmonization with Environment (including Environmental Assessment)
• Integrated and Systemic Approaches (including Environmental Management System)
Theme Environmental Economic Social
Sub-theme - Global - Construction - Equity

- Local and site - Materials - Community
- Internal - Infrastructure
Issues - Climate change - Profitability - Poverty

- Resources - Employment - Minorities
- Internal environment - Productivity - Inner cities
- External environment - Transport and utilities - Transport
- Wildlife - Building stock value - Communications
Table 2.5 – Sub themes of sustainable construction with related issues
Green Code for Architecture
Based on the objectives of the Building Research Establishment's Environmental

Assessment Method (BREEAM) the principles are:
• Demolish and rebuild only when it is not economical or practicable to reuse, adapt or
extend an existing structure;
• Reduce the need for transport during demolition, refurbishment and construction and
tightly control all processes to reduce noise, dust, vibration, pollution and waste;
• Make the most of the site, e.g. by studying its history and purpose, local micro-climates
and the prevailing winds and weather patterns, solar orientation, provision of public
transport and the form of surrounding buildings;
• Design the building to minimize the cost of ownership and its impact on the environment
over its life span by making it easily maintainable and by incorporating techniques and
technologies for conserving energy and water and reducing emissions to land, water and
air.
• Wherever feasible, use the construction techniques which are indigenous to the area,
learning from local traditions in materials and design;
19
• Put the function of the building and the comfort of its occupants well before any statement
it is intended to make about the owner or its designer. That is, make it secure, flexible and
adaptable (to meet future requirements) and able to facilitate and promote
communications between staff;
• Build to the appropriate quality and to last. Longevity depends much on form, finishes and
the method of assembly employed as on the material used.
• Avoid using materials from non renewable sources or which cannot be reused or
recycled, especially in structures which have a short life.
Environmental Architecture
Five principles of environmental architecture (Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992):
• Healthful Interior Environment. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that
materials and building systems do not emit toxic substances and gasses into the interior
atmosphere. Additional measures are to be taken to clean and revitalize interior air with
filtration and plantings.
• Energy Efficiency. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's
use of energy is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use methods and
products that conserve or eliminate energy use.
• Ecologically Benign Materials. All possible measures are to be taken to use building
materials and products that minimize destruction of the global environment. Wood is to
be selected based on non destructive forestry practices. Other materials and products
are to be considered based on the toxic waste output of production.
• Environmental Form. All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan
of the design to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to "heal"
and augment the ecology of the site. Accommodations are to be made for recycling and
energy efficiency. Measures are to be taken to relate the form of building to a
harmonious relationship between the inhabitants and nature.
• Good Design. All possible measures are to be taken to achieve an efficient, long lasting
and elegant relationship of use areas, circulation, building form, mechanical systems and
construction technology. Symbolic relationships with appropriate history, the Earth and
spiritual principles are to be searched for and expressed. Finished buildings shall be well
built, easy to use and beautiful.
20
Architect William McDonough defined the breadth of what Green Building is:
Living buildings will:
• Harvest all their water and energy needs on site.

• Be adapted specifically to site and climate and evolve as conditions change.
• Operate pollution-free and generate no wastes that aren't useful for some other
process in the building or immediate environment.
• Promote the health and well-being of all inhabitants, as a healthy ecosystem does.
• Be comprised of integrated systems that maximize efficiency and comfort.
• Improve the health and diversity of the local ecosystem rather than degrade it.
• Be beautiful and inspire us to dream.
-- Jason F. McLennan, BNIM Architects
Ecological Building
A movement in contemporary architecture that aims to create environment friendly, energy-

efficient buildings and developments by effectively managing natural resources. This entails
passively and actively harnessing solar energy and using materials which, in their
manufacture, application, and disposal, do the least possible damage to the so-called 'free
resources' water, ground, and air.
Major Areas:
Environment Building Fabric Building Technology
Air Facade and roof Cooling energy

Free air Transparent insulating material Direct
- Natural ventilation Photovoltaic - Electrically driven chiller
- Wind force Absorber surface - Absorption chiller
- Energy content Storage masses - Gas-motor driven chiller
Stack effect Planted surfaces - Cooling towers
- Solar energy, diffuse Rainwater - Tandem systems
radiation Daylight elements Indirect
- Solar energy, direct Collectors - Cold storage in building
radiation Construction - Cold storage in terrain
Storage masses - Bore holes
21
Soil Passive solar absorber Heat energy

Aquifer Heat exchanger elements Direct
- Heat storage Night cooling by outside air - District heating
- Cool storage Atria - Boiler (gas, oil, coal,
Groundwater Green zones biogas, condensing)
- Cold energy Evaporative cooling - Electric boiler (with
- Heat energy Passive solar energy storage)
Earth/rock Heat buffer Indirect
- Geothermal cooling - Solar thermal system
- Heat energy - Combined heat and power
Water surfaces (CHP)
Lake - Heat pumps
- Pump water or grey - Flue gas heat exchanger
water Electrical energy
- Heat energy Mains supply
- Cold energy - Commercial power supply
River utilities
- Pump water or grey Self supply
water - Combined heat and power
- Heat energy (CHP)
- Cold energy - Emergency generator
Sea - Photovoltaic
- Pump water or grey - Tandem system
water - Wind energy generator
- Heat energy Water
- Cold energy Pure water
- Public supply (drinking,
cooking)
Grey water
- Waste water (condenser
water, flushing, cleaning)
Rainwater
- Flushing, cleaning, cooling
Table 2.6 – Environment, building fabric and building technology as key elements to
ecological buildings
22
Green Building
A green approach to the built environment involves a holistic approach to the design of
buildings. All the resources that go into a building it may be materials, fuels or the
contribution of the users need to be considered if a sustainable architecture is to be
produced. Producing green buildings involves resolving many conflicting issues and
requirements. Each design decision has environmental implications. Measures for green
buildings can be divided into four areas:
• reducing energy in use
• minimizing external pollution and environmental damage
• reducing embodied energy and resource depletion
• minimizing internal pollution and damage to health
What Makes a Building Green?
A "green" building places a high priority on health, environmental and resource conservation
performance over its life-cycle. These new priorities expand and complement the classical
building design concerns: economy, utility, durability, and delight. Green design emphasizes
a number of new environmental, resource and occupant health concerns:
• Reduce human exposure to noxious materials.

• Conserve non-renewable energy and scarce materials.
• Minimize life-cycle ecological impact of energy and materials used.
• Use renewable energy and materials that are sustainably harvested.
• Protect and restore local air, water, soils, flora and fauna.
• Support pedestrians, bicycles, mass transit and other alternatives to fossil-fueled
vehicles.
Most green buildings are high-quality buildings; they last longer, cost less to operate and
maintain, and provide greater occupant satisfaction than standard developments.
Sophisticated buyers and lessors prefer them, and are often willing to pay a premium for
their advantages. What surprises many people unfamiliar with this design movement is that
good green buildings often cost little or no more to build than conventional designs.
Commitment to better performance, close teamwork throughout the design process,
openness to new approaches, and information on how these are best applied are more
important than a large construction budget.
23
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design is the thoughtful integration of architecture with electrical, mechanical,
and structural engineering. In addition to concern for the traditional
aesthetics of massing, proportion, scale, texture, shadow, and light, the facility design team
needs to be concerned with long term costs: environmental, economic, and human.
Principles of Sustainable Design
 Understanding Place - Sustainable design begins with an intimate understanding of

place. If we are sensitive to the nuances of place, we can inhabit without destroying it.
Understanding place helps determine design practices such as solar orientation of a
building on the site, preservation of the natural environment, and access to public
transportation.
 Connecting with Nature - Whether the design site is a building in the inner city or in a
more natural setting, connecting with nature brings the designed environment back to
life. Effective design helps inform us of our place within nature.
 Understanding Natural Processes - In nature there is not waste. The byproduct of one
organism becomes the food for another. In other words, natural systems are made of
closed loops. By working with living processes, we respect the needs of all species.
Engaging processes that regenerate rather than deplete, we become more alive. Making
natural cycles and processes visible bring the designed environment back to life.
 Understanding Environmental Impact - Sustainable design attempts to have an
understanding of the environmental impact of the design by evaluating the site, the
embodied energy and toxicity of the materials, and the energy efficiency of design,
materials and construction techniques. Negative environmental impact can be mitigated
through use of sustainably harvested building materials and finishes, materials with low
toxicity in manufacturing and installation, and recycling building materials while on the
job site.
 Embracing Co-creative Design Processes - Sustainable designers are finding it is
important to listen to every voice. Collaboration with systems consultants, engineers and
other experts happens early in the design process, instead of an afterthought. Designers
are also listening to the voices of local communities. Design charities for the end user
(neighborhood residents or office employers) are becoming a standard practice.
 Understanding People - Sustainable design must take into consideration the wide
range of cultures, races, religions and habits of the people who are going to be using and
inhabiting the built environment. This requires sensitivity and empathy on the needs of
the people and the community.
24
2.4 Strategies of Sustainable Development
2.4.1 Processes
Table 2.7 – Strategies of sustainable development at three consecutive phases
Planning Process
• Site selection and planning
• Budget planning
• Capital planning
• Programmed planning
Design Process
• Client awareness and goal setting
• Green vision, project goals & green design criteria
• Team development
• Well-integrated design
• Resource management
• Performance goals
2.4.2 Operation & Maintenance

• Commissioning of building systems
• Building operation
25
• Maintenance practices
• Renovation
• Demolition
2.4.3 Assessment
Environmental Assessment: Assessment Methodologies
• Indoor air quality audit
• Life cycle energy audit
• Initial embodied energy
• Recurring embodied energy
• Operational energy
• Benchmarking
• Greenhouse gas assessment
• Lighting, thermal and ventilation (LTV) audit
• Hydraulic audit
• Life cycle costing audit
• Post occupancy evaluation
2.5 Goal of Sustainable Development
For a new building/settlement to be successful the above mentioned three aspects of

sustainability need to work together to achieve a place that can grow over time without
impeding the amenity of the existing population, the environment and the local economy.
All the three aspects of sustainable buildings i.e. Climate, Culture and Cost can be thus
referred as the "interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars" of sustainable development.
2.5.1 Environmental Sustainability (Climate Sensitive): Environmental sustainability is

the process of making sure current processes of interaction with the environment are
pursued with the idea of keeping the environment as pristine as naturally possible. An
environmentally sustainable system must maintain a stable resource base, avoiding over-
exploitation of renewable resource systems or environmental sink functions, and depleting
non-renewable resources only to the extent that investment is made in adequate substitutes.
This includes maintenance of biodiversity, atmospheric stability, and other ecosystem
functions not ordinarily classed as economic resources.
26
Environmental sustainability has been a strong trend of late with good reason. It conserves
energy, water and slows down cataclysmic global effects. Environmental conservation,
conserving the natural plant and wild life for future generations is an important factor in
environmental sustainability. Following are the goals:
• Sustainable water management and recycling.

• Recycling of waste.
• Introducing flora to control local climate issue such as trees for shade.
• Sustainable architecture in terms of materials, energy use and long term adaptability.
2.5.2 Cultural Sustainability (Lifestyle & Culture Sensitive): Cultural Sustainability

focuses on the amenity of the place. Put simply, if people are happy and enjoy their life, they
will stay. Therefore it is important to look at the whole life cycle from infancy to retirement, for
families and singles. The key to cultural sustainability is designing the buildings as per the
need to suit the culture and lifestyle of the people who are the major users of both the place
and building.
2.5.3 Economic Sustainability (Cost Sensitive): A town cannot be stable without a

stable economic base where wealth is increased and opportunities are varied. Over time it is
preferable that the township develops its own economy by resorting to cost effective
construction techniques as one of the major tool.
Thus, a sustainable building or settlement is one that is economically viable,

environmentally deigned and socially acceptable.
27
CHAPTER 3
Indian Railways: Pride of the
Country
Contents:
3.1 Rail Transport: The Lifeline of Indian Masses

3.1.1 Advantages of Rail Transport
3.1.2 Limitations of Railway Transport
3.2 Milestones in Indian Railway
3.3 Interesting Facts about Indian Railway
3.4 Sustainable Urban Development, Urban Management and Urban Design
3.4.1 Railway Stations as Drivers of Urban Development
3.4.2 Necessity of cleaning and Greening the Railway stations
References:
Print Resources
• Sheppard Charles, Railway Stations: Master Pieces of Architecture,
Todtri Production Ltd
Web Resources
• http://swangroup.co.in/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/CSP_Indian_R
ail_Heritage.258171148.pdf(Indian Rail Heritage and its
Conservation-Planning for Conservation)
• http://www.unp.me/f8/interesting-facts-about-indian-railways-22769/
• http://www.uns.ethz.ch/people/hs/scholzr/publ/1639.pdf ( Journal of
Transport Geography, Volume 16 issue 3 May 2008 – Classifying
Railway Stations for Sustainable Transition)
• www.iloveindia.com/indian-railways/facts.html
• www.indianetzone.com/20/history_indian_railways.htm (Introduction
to history of Indian Railway, railway zones etc.)
29
Chapter 3: INDIAN RAILWAYS PRIDE OF THE COUNTRY
3.1 Rail transport: The Lifeline of Indian Masses
Transportation of goods and passengers on rail lines through trains is called rail transport. It
occupies an important place in land transport system of our country and is the most
dependable mode of transport to carry goods and passengers over a long distance. Besides
long distance, local transport of passengers is also provided by local trains or metro-rail in
some metropolitan cities. Rail transport is available throughout the country except some hilly
or mountainous regions. In India two types of trains are found. One is passenger train and
other is goods train. While passenger trains carry both human beings and a limited quantity
of goods, the goods trains are exclusively used for carrying goods from one place to another.
These trains are driven by rail engines and they use steam, diesel or electric power to move.
3.1.1 Advantages of Rail Transport

(i) It is a convenient mode of transport, both for people in large numbers and goods at large
quantity over longer distances.
(ii) It is relatively faster than road transport.
(iii) It is also responsible for spreading out and demonstrating cultural and heritage values.
(iv) Its operation is less affected by adverse weathers conditions like rain, floods, fog, etc.
3.1.2 Limitations of Rail Transport

(i) It is relatively expensive for carrying goods and passengers over short distances.
(ii) It is not available in remote parts of the country.
(iii) It provides service according to fixed time schedule and is not flexible for loading or
unloading of goods at any place.
(iv) It involves heavy losses of life as well as goods in case of accident.
(v) Railway network is difficult to reach up the hilly areas, when road transport remains the
only economical solution.
3.2 Milestones in Indian Railway
The first railway on Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to
Thane. The idea of a railway to connect Bombay with Thane, Kalyan and with the Thal and
Bhore Ghats inclines first occurred to Mr. George Clark, the Chief Engineer of the Bombay
Government, during a visit to Bhandup in 1843.
30
Figure3.1 – A picture of steam engine with the Taj in background, shows the glorious
past of Indian Railway
The formal inauguration ceremony was performed on 16th April 1853, when 14 railway
carriages carrying about 400 guests left Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm "amidst the loud applause of
a vast multitude and to the salute of 21 guns."
The first passenger train steamed out of Howrah station destined for Hooghly, a distance of
24 miles, on 15th August, 1854. Thus the first section of the East Indian Railway was
opened to public traffic, inaugurating the beginning of railway transport on the Eastern side
of the sub-continent.
In south the first line was opened on Ist July, 1856 by the Madras Railway Company. It ran
between Veyasarpandy and Walajah Road (Arcot), a distance of 63 miles. In the North a
length of 119 miles of line was laid from Allahabad to Kanpur on 3rd March 1859. The first
section from Hathras Road to Mathura Cantonment was opened to traffic on 19th October,
1875.
These were the small beginnings which in due course developed into a network of railway
lines all over the country. By 1880 the Indian Railway system had a route mileage of about
9000 miles.
3.3 Interesting Facts about Indian Railways [Source- http://www.citehr.com (registration desk
Knowledgebase testimonial)]
Indian Railway is certainly the 'Lifeline of the Nation' with its commendable performance
since the last 150 years. Indian Railways is known to be the largest railway network in Asia
31
and the world's largest railway system under a single management. IR employs about 1.6
million people, making itself the second largest commercial or utility employer in the world.
IR boasts of more than 7,500 railway stations in its periphery. It has a fleet of not less than
7800 locomotives, 40,000 coaches 3,26,000 wagons. 9 pairs of Rajdhani and 13 pairs of
Shatabdi Express Trains run on the rail tracks of India. In 1977, the National Rail Museum
was established at New Delhi.
Given below is a list providing some interesting and amazing facts about Indian Railways:
First Passenger Train Ran On: 16th April 1853 (between Bombay to Thane)
First Railway Bridge: Dapoorie Viaduct on the Mumbai-Thane route
First Rail Tunnel: Parsik Tunnel
First Ghats Covered by the Rail lines: Thal and Bhor Ghats
First Underground Railway: Calcutta METRO
First Computerized Reservation System started in: New Delhi (1986)
First Electric Train ran on: 3rd Feb' 1925 (between Bombay VT and Kurla)
Toilets on Trains were introduced in: 1891 (1st Class) 1907 (lower classes)
Shortest Station Name: Ib (Orissa)
Longest Station Name: Sri Venkatanarasimharaj Uvariapeta (Tamil Nadu)
Busiest Railway Station: Lucknow (64 trains everyday)
Longest Run (Time): Himsagar Express (Jammu to Kanyakumari- 3751 km in 74 hrs and
55 min)
Shortest Run: Route between Nagpur to Ajni (3km)
Longest Run for Daily Train: Kerala Express (3054 km in 42.5 hrs)
Longest Non-Stop Run (Distance): Trivandrum Rajdhani (528 km in 6.5 hrs)
Longest Railway Platform in the World: Kharagpur (2,733 ft in length)
Longest Railway Bridge: Nehru Setu on Sone River (10044ft in length)

Longest Tunnel: On Konkan Railway between Monkey Hill Khandala ( 6.5 km)
Oldest Preserved Locomotive: Fairy Queen (1855), still in working order
Heritage Train: Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, running from New Jalpaiguri to

Darjeeling, a hill station at an elevation of 2134 meters has attained the World
Heritage Status from UNESCO.
32
Gauges of Track: 4 Gauges; BG (5'6"), MG (1 metre), NG (2')

IR Daily Runs: About 14,000 trains
IR Daily Carries: More than 11 million passengers 1 million tonnes of freight
IR's only line with Rack Pinion system: From Mettupalayam to Conoor
IR's Fastest Train: Bhopal-Shatabdi (runs at a speed up to 140 Km/ph)
Railway Station with all the Three Gauges : Siliguri Railway Station
Route Kilometers of Track: More than 64,000 kms
People Employed in IR: About 1.6 million people
Train with Maximum Number of Halts: Howrah-Amritsar Express (115 halts)
Trains without Commercial Halts : Sampoorna Kranti Express, Howrah Rajdhani,
Bombay Rajdhani, Pragati Express and Pune Shatabdi
Stations across State Lines: Navapur (Maharashtra and Gujarat), Bhawani Mandi
(Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan)
Classes of travel on Indian Railway: Ist AC, 2nd AC, 3rd AC, AC Chair Car IInd Sleeper
IInd Ordinary.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway system carries more than 6.1 million commuters on a
daily basis and constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the
Indian Railways itself.
Delhi Metro is the first Railway project in the world to be registered by the United
Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which will enable it to
claim carbon credits. The Project has been registered on 29 December 2007 with
the Project number 1351 with the title “Installation of Low Green House Gases (GHG)
emitting rolling stock cars in metro system” and with credit period of 10 years up to
28.12.2017.
3.4 Sustainable Urban Development, Urban Management and Urban Design
According to the United Nations, by 2027 for the first time ever, the proportion of world’s
population living in urban areas will be greater than the proportion of those living in rural
areas. Therefore it is clear that the services and infrastructure required for this new urban
development along with the existing requirements and urgent necessity to improve them will
create pressing demands on material and energy resources besides generating pollution
and waste.
33
This presents a critical challenge for urban designers. Can the demand for urban
development and regeneration be met while simultaneously reducing environmental impacts
to the carrying capacity of earth? The current developmental trends have seen major
technological advances in the field of sustainable development. However these
advancements remain concentrated as isolated achievements and will not have a multiplier
effect if sustainable development is not mainstreamed in to the planning process through
mandatory building bylaws and regulations.
National and local governments design, develop own and maintain a wide range of buildings
and facilities including residential, administrative and public buildings. They are also primarily
responsible for urban planning, development of basic infrastructure and management of
resources such as energy and water. They have access to several administrative, regulatory
and financing tools that can facilitate development and operation of these building resources
in a sustainable manner. In the current context of increasing demand and decreasing
resources it has become essential to access and if needed reframe the policies for each and
every building type. To set an example and to get the practice of sustainable development
main streamed, the best way perhaps is to apply the principles of sustainable development
in all the major administrative and public buildings to be used by a large number of people.
3.4.1 Railway Stations as Drivers of Urban Development: Indian Railway is the second
largest railway system in the world. Having started two centuries ago in1853 it has been
much admired as India’s largest public sector undertaking for several decades. It is one of
the most integrated of all organizations that also boasts of multiple business lines viz.
Railway Track, Railway Locomotive, Railway Coach, Signaling & Telecommunication and
Railway Station. For designing, construction, operation and maintenance of all these
business lines a tremendous amount of energy is consumed.
A railway station has different functions within a city. It is part of a transport network and a
link connecting the city with its environment. Railway stations function not only as inter
change for trains & other transport forms but also for commercial and social interaction and
potentially serve as “drivers of urban development” hence they are undisputedly
important for urban form and sustainable development of the Urban Fabric.
3.4.2 Necessity of Cleaning and Greening the Railway Stations: With rapid strides in
economic development, particularly in urban development, the need for rationalizing and
upgrading the transport system is imperative. But in the process of development, there has
been an intensive use of natural resources. Very often the process of development has
34
adversely affected the environment, leading to ecological imbalances. The importance of

conserving and enhancing the environmental assets has assumed urgency. Apart from land
use, conservation of flora and fauna, planning urban transportation is an important aspect of
eco development.
It is important to keep and improve the leading environmental position for railway
infrastructure and operations. Moreover, as one of the biggest land owners in India,
railways have to continue to be a good neighbor to all and continue to be guardians of
the environment. As a good neighbor, railways must:
• develop sustainable construction methods;
• look into ways of more efficient land use; and
• maintain Indian architectural heritage.
The keywords will be: “cleaning” and “greening” the means of railway operations.
35
CHAPTER 4
Railway Architecture
Contents:
4.1 Railway Station and its Purpose

4.2 Categories of Railway Stations as per Passenger Amenities
4.3 Classification of Stations as per Functions
4.4 Station Facilities
4.4.1 Major Functional Areas
4.4.2 Functional Standards of Four Main Areas in Railway Stations
4.5 Design and Layout of Station
4.5.1 Major Activity Areas of Railway Station (Station Elements)
4.5.2 Level of Service
4.5.3 Key Elements of Passenger Circulation System
I. Entrances/Exits
II. Control Area (Unpaid Concourse)
III. Main Concourse (Paid Concourse)
IV. Platforms
V. Vertical Circulation Elements (VCEs)
VI. Parking
References:
Print Resource
• Arora S P & Saxena S C, Railway Engineering, Dhanpatrai and
Sons,New Delhi
• Collis Hugh, Transport Engineering and Architecture, Architectural
Press London
• Manual for Standards and Specifications for Railway Stations,
Development of World class Stations through Public Private
Partnership, published by –Land & Amenities Directorate, Ministry of
Railways(Railway Board) Govt. of India, 2009
• Indian Railway Works manual 2000, Ministry of Railways(Railway
Board), Govt. of India, New Delhi
Web Resources
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_platform#Types_of_platform
• http://wiki.openttd.org/Building_railway_stations
37
Chapter 4: RAILWAY ARCHITECTURE
4.1 Railway Station and its Purpose
A railway station, train station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which
passengers may board and alight from trains, and/or where rail-transported freight (or
goods) may be loaded or unloaded. A station whose primary purpose is the provision of
passenger services is sometimes known as a passenger station, whereas a station dealing
solely or mainly with goods (freight) is referred to as a goods station or freight station. A
railway station is provided for one or more of the following purposes:
• To entrain or detrain the passengers.
• To load or off load the goods of parcels.
• To control the movement of train.
• To enable the trains to cross each other in case of single line section.
• To enable the faster trains to overtake the slower trains.
• To enable the locomotives to take fuel or water.
• To attach or detach coaches or wagons to the trains.
• To collect food and water for the passengers.
• To provide facilities for change of engines and crew/staff.
• To enable sorting out of wagons and bogies to from new trains.
• To provide facilities and hold the passengers in case of emergencies like indefinite delay,
break down and accidents etc., when traffic disrupted.
4.2 Categories of Railway Stations as per Passenger Amenities
Stations have been categorized in to six categories A, B, C, D, E and F depending upon

annual passenger earnings (earnings from both reserved & un-reserved passengers) which
is an indicator of passenger traffic.
Category ‘A’: Non-suburban stations with annual passenger earnings of Rs.6 crores and
above.
Category ‘B’: I – Non-suburban stations with an annual passengers earnings between
Rs.3crores to Rs.6 Crores.
II – Stations of tourist importance or an important junction station (to be
decided by G.M.)
Category ‘C’: All suburban stations.
Category ‘D’: Non- suburban stations with passenger earnings between 1 and 3 Crores.
Category ‘E’: Non-suburban stations with earnings less than 1 crores.
38
Category ‘F’: Halts

Note: Data available is as per the earnings of the year 1995-96 (the data is reviewed every
five years and the category of the same station may change as per the reviewed data).
Minimum Essential Amenities: The minimum essential amenities to be provided in each

category of station is given below in a table, that has been extracted from Annexure – 4.2,
para – 403, of the Indian Railway Works Manual 2000:
STATION CATEGORY
AMENITIES
A B C D E F
Booking facility Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Platform – High Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

- Low
- Rail level
Drinking water - piped Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Drinking water (Hand Pump)
Waiting Hall / Shed Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes -
Seating Arrangement Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes -
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes -

Platform shelter shady trees
Lighting # Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes -
Fans @ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Urinals Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Latrines Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes -
Foot over bridge Yes Yes Yes Yes - -
Time Table display Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Clock Yes Yes Yes Yes - -
Table 4.1 – List of minimum essential amenities for each category of station
# (i) Regular/Flag Stations should be electrified if electricity is available within one km.
(ii) If electricity is not available within one km. and trains stop at night, electricity through solar
power should be considered.
@ Where trains stop at night these are to be provided at electrified stations.
39
Scale of Minimum Essential Amenities: The size/numbers of amenities to be provided in a

station should be decided as per the figures mentioned in table below, which is also
extracted from Annexure – 4.2, para – 403, of the Indian Railway Works Manual 2000.
AMENITIES STATION CATEGORY
A B C D E F
BOOKING 15 10 7 4 2 1
FACILITY
(NO. OF COUNTERS)
12 taps on 12 taps on 6 taps on 6 taps on 1 tap/ HP 1 hand

DRINKING
each PF each PF each PF each PF on each PF pump at
WATER
Stations
100 sqm 50 sqm 15 sqm 30 sqm 15 sqm 10 sqm

Booking
WATING HALL
office cum
wating hall
URINALS 10 6 4 4 1 -
LATERINES 10 6 2 4 1 -
400 sqm 200 sqm 200 sqm 50 sqm on Shady Shady

P. F. SHELTERS on each PF on each PF on each PF each PF trees on trees
each PF
SEATING 100 on 75 on 20 on 50 on 10 on each -

ARRANGEMENTS each PF each PF each PF each PF PF
(NO. OF SEATS )
Table 4.2 – Scale of minimum essential amenities for each category of station
Note: Scale of all the amenities prescribed above is the bare minimum to be provided at the
appropriate class of stations. Amenities over and above the prescribed minimum scales will continue
to be provided as per stipulated norms, details in Annexure 4.4 of the Indian Railway Works Manual
2000.
Recommended and Desirable Amenities: Once the station fulfils the requirement of the
minimum essential amenities, further augmentation of the premises can be done on the
basis of norms specified for recommended level of amenities. For better improvement of
customer satisfaction level and interface process at station, the provision of spaces should
40
further confirm the norms mentioned in the manual for desirable amenities given in the
tables extracted from Indian Railway Works Manual 2000, Annexure 4.4 & 4.5 para 404 and
405
Recommended Amenities
N max = Average no. of passengers at any time during peak including the inward and outward
passengers (excluding mela traffic)
N db = Design figure for no. of passengers for A & B stations to be calculated as N db = 0.3 (N max ).
N db = Design figure for no. of passengers for C, D & E stations to be calculated as N ds = 0.45 (N max ).
Amentities Recommended scale for provision
Cat. A & B Other Stations Remarks
Waiting hall 1.394 N db sqm. 1.394 N ds . Sqm. .
No. of seats 0.4 N db 0.4 N ds .
Drinking Water No. of taps=N max /25 No. of taps=N max /25 .
Taps should be
distributed so that
every alternate
coach gets benefit of
a tap.
Latrines 4 x N db /200 4 x N ds /200 .
Urinals N db /200 N db /200 1/3rd of urinals be

reserved for ladies.
P. F. Covering 0.28 N max 0.28 N max At important 'A' class and

suburban stations efforts
should be to cover the
entire P.F.
Bathroom 1/400 N db 1/400 N ds a) To be provided at

Junctions and terminal
stations only.
b) At suburban stations,
bathrooms need not be
provided.
Coolers To be provided if total numbers of passengers is more than 1000 per

day
41
Booking 1 window per 100 . .

arrangements tickets/hour
SPTM One SPTM for 800 tickets for 'A', 'B' and 'C' stations
IVRS A-48 lines (calls A central IVRS with .

72000) B-24 lines adequate lines
(calls 5000-20000) should be provided
to cover all
suburban stations.
Other stations- Min.
6 lines if IVRS is
otherwise justified.
Table 4.3 Norms for provision of passenger amenities at the recommended level
Desirable Amenities
STATION CATEGORY
FACILITY
A B C D E F
Retiring room Yes Yes � Yes � �
Waitinq Rooms Yes Yes � Yes � �

Common
Separate for upper Yes � � � � �

& second class
Separate for ladies Yes � � � � �

& gents
Clock room Yes Yes � � � �
Enquiry Yes Yes Yes Yes � �
NTES Yes � � � � �
I.V.R.S. Yes Yes � � � �
Public address Yes Yes Yes � � �

system
42
Water vending Yes Yes � � � �

machines/Chilling
plants
Water coolers Yes Yes Yes Yes � �
Bathing facilities Yes Yes Yes � �
Book stalls/other Yes Yes Yes � � �

stalls of essential
goods
Refreshment room Yes Yes � � � �
Catering/Vending Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes �

stalls
Parking/Circulatory Yes Yes Yes Yes � �

area
Washable apron* Yes Yes � � � �
Train indicator Yes Yes Yes � � �

Board
Public phones Yes Yes Yes � � �
Table 4.4 Provision of passenger amenities at desirable level
* Washable aprons may be provided in a planned manner to cover only stations from where trains
terminate/originate or stop for longer duration in the morning hours.
The amenities for specific category of railway station in our country can thus be decided by
following the norms and guidelines of Indian Railway Works manual 2000, which is revised after a
span of every five years.
4.3 Classification of Stations as per Functions
1. Flag stations
2. Road side or crossing stations.
3. Junction stations.
4. Terminal stations.
43
1. Halt – Stopping place of a railway line
Figure4.1 – Schematic layout of station called as ‘Halt’
2. Flag station – Only traffic is managed with and there are no arrangements to control
movement of train.
Figure4.2 – Layout of flag station
3. Crossing stations – To control traffic and movement of trains and overtaking the slower
trains by the fast moving train.
i) Single line crossing station
ii) Double line crossing station.
b)
Figure4.3 – Layout of crossing station
4. Junction stations – At a junction station, line from three or more directions meet.
Figure4.4 – Schematic layout of junction station
44
5. Terminal stations: - the station at which a railway line or one of its branches terminates
or end.
Figure4.5 – Schematic layout of terminal station
4.4 Station Facilities
Railway stations usually have ticket booths, ticket machines, or both. Ticket sales may also
be combined with customer service desks or convenience stores. Many stations include
some form of convenience store. Larger stations usually have fast-food or restaurant
facilities while in some countries, stations also have a bar or pub. Other station facilities may
include: toilets, left-luggage, lost-and-found, departures and arrivals boards, luggage carts,
waiting rooms, taxi ranks and bus bays. Larger or manned stations tend to have a greater
range of facilities. A most basic station might only have platforms, though it might still be
distinguished from a halt, a stopping or halting place that may not even have platforms.
4.4.1 Major Functional Areas: There are four main functional areas typically housed in a
railway station i.e. Core Area, Transition Area, Peripheral Area and Administrative Area.
Figure 4.6 – The inter relationship between four major functional areas constituting an
intermodal station
45
4.4.2 Functional Standards of Four Main Areas in Railway Stations:

(Source: Indian Railway Works Manual 2000)
Table 4.5 – Functional standards of four major areas in a railway station
46
4.5 Design and Layout of Station
As per the guidelines mentioned in Manual for Standards and Specifications for Railway
Stations 2009, the stations should be designed for peak daily and hourly passenger flow in
the design year, ideally a design year horizon (proposal year plus 40 years) should be
considered for phase wise development of stations to meet and grow with the future
demand.
Figure4.7 – Typical layout of Indian stations highlighting proximity to major activity

areas
The layout of the station is influenced by the track geometry, operational requirements,
predicted passenger flow and electrical and mechanical requirements. The station is divided
into public and non public areas (those areas where access is restricted). The public areas
are further divided into paid and unpaid areas. The spaces and major elements of a typical
Indian railway station are mentioned below with the criteria for selection of sizes and areas
for the same (Source: Manual for Standards and Specifications for Railway Stations 2009)
Indian railways cater to a very large volume of passengers belonging to all sections of the
society. One demarcation that stands out is that of commuter traffic and long distance
travelers. The railway has become a lifeline of big cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai,
which deals with huge commuter traffic in a varied profile. The commuter travelers
outnumber the long distance travelers by a large margin in these cities.
In order to transfer passengers efficiently from the street level to train and vice versa, station
planning must be based on established principles of pedestrian flow and arranged to
minimize unnecessary walking distance and cross flows between incoming and outgoing
passengers.
47
4.5.1 Major Activity Areas of Railway Station (Station Elements): Various spaces of
station premises are designed by considering the LOS (level of Service) performance
standards based on John J. Fruin’s pedestrian Planning and Designing, 1987.The following
chart outline the LOS requirements of various station elements. In design of station elements
where J.J. Fruin standards are not applicable International Aviation Transportation
Association (IATA) standards shall apply.
4.5.2 Level of Service (LOS):
48
Table4.6 – Details of level of service norms
Determining the Capacity of Spaces: The capacity for the various station elements shall
be based on a percentage of the maximum practical capacity depending on the location and
usage. However, station design shall take into account seasonal peak use and ensure that
all station components conform to a Level of Service (LOS) D during that period. The station
designer shall prepare a capacity analysis that identifies all the station elements and their
respective operational and safety evacuation requirements and notes how the above
referenced LOS C is achieved. The analysis shall be based on the following types of factors:
1. Overall station – Design year horizon average peak day.

2. Concourses – Based on analysis of maximum number of trains alighting and detraining
at peak operation (may vary depending on extent of transfer activity).
3. Circulation elements – The maximum throughput established for each passenger
circulation element (The emergency egress requirements of the station as determined by
the requirements of NFPA 130 and 101).
4. Entrance/Egress – Peak hourly load as determined by analysis (minimum of 10% of
average peak daily capacity).
5. Platforms – Peak train discharge as determined by analysis (min-center platform two full
capacity trains discharging simultaneously, min-side platform one full capacity train
discharging).
6. Amenities – Based on analysis of maximum number of trains alighting and detraining at
peak operation (may vary depending on extent of transfer activity) and passenger profile.
7. Service standards – Any requirement established to clear the platform of arriving
passengers within a given length of time after the train arrives for performance,
operational, or other reasons
4.5.3 Key Elements of Passenger Circulation System: The key elements of the station’s
normal passenger circulation system (excluding emergency egress) are:
I. Entrances/Exits
II. Control Area (Unpaid Concourse)
III. Main Concourse (Paid Concourse)
IV. Platforms
V. Vertical Circulation Elements (VCEs)
VI. Parking
49
Entrance: Station entrance shall be located with particular reference to passenger

catchment points with proper provision of safety and security check and scan at this point.
The entrances shall provide convenient access (ingress and egress) to all the passengers.
Minimum door width considered for entrance as per NFPA is 914.4mm and maximum egress
capacity of 5mm per person per minute through the egress. The station entrances shall be
sited and designed integrating the local planned development, heritage issues and adaptive
reuse and shall incorporate urban resources wherever possible. At least one entrance per
station shall designed barrier free as per the Indian disability act and ADAAG.
Control Area (Unpaid Concourse): The station control area is located in unpaid area and
contains fare vending, control access to paid areas and customer information facilities. In
addition to this unpaid concourse may contain certain amenities to be provided by the
concessionaries and MOR at their discretion they include shops (food and retail), travel
information centers, foreign exchange centers (minimum size-3mx3m), ATM’, pay and use
toilets etc.
Ticketing Area: The ticketing area at the station shall be well defined spatially and
conveniently. Located out of the main stream traffic flow, ticket counters shall be easily
accessible to passengers purchasing tickets or requiring purchase related information.
Booths are to be grouped together in continuous arrays the proximity to the entry gates to
the paid area and near the main train information display. A queuing area at least 7.62 m
deep with ample space for queuing with luggage, clear to any obstruction, outside the zone
of normal passenger circulation and all other queuing areas, unless the need for a lesser
queuing area can be verified by passenger modeling should be provided.
Booking Office: This is part of unpaid concourse where a large number of people are
expected at a time hence a huge enclosed space with proper provision of queuing should be
there. The booking windows are distributed function wise or destinations wise by the
Commercial Department. The booking office should be located at the entrance or exit from
the station. A standardized layout for the booking windows may be formulated with an
optimum size of cubicle as 1.8m x 1.5m
Main Concourse (Paid Concourse): On passing through the ticket gates, the passengers
enter the paid area which includes access to platform (Figure no). The paid area contains
waiting areas, lounges, cloak room, concessions (food stalls & convenience retail shops),
MOR managed food shops, Station Information Centers (SIC’s), Ticket Vending Machines
(TVM’s) Interactive Inquiry Centers (IIC’s), ATM’s, public security stations, toilets etc.
50
Concourse will be the main congregation space for the station. Its design should reflect the
highest quality public space aesthetic for public open space. Calculations for the actual size
of a concourse will involve at a minimum the establishment of a peak passenger load for the
concourse developed by the model (which may vary from the peak departure load
depending on the station operation) times the LOS criteria minus the area to be occupied by
amenities and the requisite space factors applied for circulation and access.
Waiting Areas and Lounges: Lounges and Waiting Areas form the major part of paid
concourse. There should be separation between non reserved and reserved and further
separation within reserved for premium ticket holders. The passengers must be facilitated
with lounging furniture and amenities, such as television, music, library of news papers, and
food and drinks vending machines. Capacity of waiting areas shall be based on the station
capacity analysis model that must include a passenger profile to establish the waiting area
requirements for reserved and unreserved passengers as well as the premium lounges.
Given below is the sample calculation to explain the procedure for capacity calculation in
waiting areas and lounges.
Table4.7 – Details of sample capacity calculation for waiting areas and lounges
Retiring Rooms: Retiring rooms are meant for short stay and relaxation of railway officials
therefore retiring rooms should be provided only where a minimum of 60% occupation is
expected by the commercial department.
Platforms: The platform area is where customers access the trains. The platform area is
where customers access trains. The platform area must facilitate multiple customer
circulation functions: circulation along the platform, boarding and alighting trains, queuing at
the platform edge while waiting for a train, queuing at VCEs, runoff at VCEs, and waiting at
benches or rest areas. In addition to VCEs, circulation space, safety edges, and buffer
areas, platforms must provide room for the following program requirements, many of which
may contribute to the width of the platform:
51
a) Train information panels (freestanding map/information “kiosks”)

b) Public telephones, including accessible and text telephones
c) Advertising panels
d) Benches
e) Trash and recycling receptacles
f) Customer Information Signs
g) Platform end gates
h) Fire protection/firefighting facilities (e.g., standpipes, hose cabinets, and
extinguisher cabinets)
i) Help-Point Intercoms
j) Support areas (service and ancillary spaces)
k) Emergency egress (e.g., stairs, vestibules, corridors as required)
Sizing station platforms is critical and designers should err on the side of safety when
determining the size of the station platform.
The capacity of platforms will assume in all instances the worst case scenario for the
alighting and detraining of trains in a station. A center platform will assume two 100%
capacity trains detraining and evacuating from the platform at any given time. A side platform
assumes one 100% capacity train detraining and evacuating from the platform at any given
time. Evacuation for the purposes of fire safety does not need to consider operational
alighting and detraining flow. However, the station capacity analysis model should identify
these distinct requirements that have passengers coming from and going to different
concourses and apportion the VCE’s accordingly.
Platform capacity: 24 coaches x 75 persons/coach x 2 2,304

Evacuation time: 4 min maximum
VCE’s
(2)1.12m escalators 0.555p/mm-min 1,009
(3)1.12m stairs 0.555p/mm-min 1,514
Total capacity 2,523
Minimum exits: 100m maximum travel, 600m platform 4 no.
Platform types include following three types-

• Bay platform: A bay platform (number 1 in the figure 4.8) is one at which the tracks
terminate, i.e. a dead-end or siding. Trains serving a bay platform must reverse in or out.
52
• Side platform (Through platform):

A side platform (number 2 in figure
4.8), conversely, is the more usual
type of platform, located alongside
tracks where the train may simply
pull into the platform from one end
and leave passing the other end.
• Island platform: An island platform
(number 3&4 in figure4.8) has
designated through platforms on
both sides; it may be indented on
one or both ends, with bay
Figure 4.8 – Schematic layout of station
platforms. For passengers to reach
showing types of platform
an island platform there may be a
bridge, a tunnel, or a level crossing. The climb up to the bridge or down to the tunnel
may use stairs, ramps, escalators, lifts, or a combination of the above.
Usually platform numbering is actually a numbering of the boarding areas in the station
(hence one island platform, for example, may have several numbered platforms). In some
cases, tracks without platform access, used for through traffic, also have a number.
Length of platforms: The length should be adequate to accommodate the longest train
anticipated for the station( e.g.24 coach train at 22.5m per coach with 22m engine at each
end will require at least 584m platform) plus 4.5 m or as directed by Indian Railways.
Width of platform:
a) The width of any VCEs located within the length of the platform.
b) An architecturally preferred minimum 2.640 m clear distance to any obstruction, such as
a VCE, from the platform edge. This distance includes the 0.609 m wide platform safety
edge, a 1.725 m clear passage for customers circulating along the platform length, and a
0.13 m buffer zone along the length of the obstruction. The rub strip will not be included
as part of the .609 m width of the platform safety edge.
c) Station patronage and emergency exiting requirements.
d) Space requirements as determined by Level of Service requirements
Depth of platform: High level platform-840mm from the track level

Low level platform-450mm from the track level
53
Platform Covers: Depending on the climate conditions, number of passengers and nature
of traffic, platform covers should be provided as per scale. In normal operating conditions the
platform and other areas are designed to accommodate 1.5 to 2.5 persons per sqm. Under
emergency conditions, it is assumed that a full trainload is required to disembark.
Figure 4.9 – Typical cross section of platform with shelter and position of train on track
Vertical Circulation Elements (VCE’s): VCEs are the devices used to transport customers
between different levels of the station. VCEs comprise of elevators, escalators, and stairs
(including emergency egress stairs). Capacity requirements for VCE’s will be determined on
a component by component basis. The most critical will be the platform which is the basic
unit of operation in the train station. General planning principles for each type of VCE follow.
• Provide Escalator/Stair in pairs - Wherever feasible, stairs and escalators shall be provided
side-by-side to facilitate a choice in vertical travel.
• Provide Elevators in pairs – Unless infeasible on existing platform areas elevators shall be
installed in pairs side by side wherever they are use for public access.
54
• Provide Adequate Capacity (Minimum Number of VCEs) -The minimum number of VCEs
will be determined by the level of service, given the forecast peak passenger design loads or
emergency egress requirements, whichever is most stringent. However, a single upward
escalator and stair pair will be considered as the minimum vertical circulation unit at any
point of vertical circulation.
Ramps: Ramps shall only be used for small changes in level or for use by wheelchairs and
the following gradients shall apply:
a) Preferred gradient 1:20
b) Maximum gradient 1:12
Ramps shall be a minimum width of 1200mm for unidirectional movement and 1500mm for
bi-directional movement. Rest platforms should be considered for long ramps (exceeding
10m) provided for wheelchair users. Rest platforms should provide a level area 1800mm
long at intervals of approximately10m. Capacity of ramp as defined in NFPA 130 as .0819
per millimeter per person per minute. Minimum size of ramp is .914m.
Stairs: Public stairs are intended for normal passenger circulation. Because of the safety
hazards and energy expenditure associated with human locomotion on a stairway, designers
must be particularly cognizant of the passenger behavior and traffic patterns of railway
stations. Foot over bridges or subways as convenient and techno-economically feasible
should be provided keeping in view the following factors:
.a) Level of Service
The following LOS performance standards shall be used for station planning:
i) Stairs: LOS C
ii) Queuing areas: LOS C
iii) Capacity (i.e. for 1.12m wide stairs@ 0.555p/mm-min the capacity would be-1,514
persons per min).
b) Application
i) Stairs are the primary mode of vertical circulation for meeting emergency egress
requirements (e.g., NFPA 130).
ii) Stairs shall be used as the primary mode of vertical circulation where the vertical rise
between levels is less than 2.439 m
iii) Stairs are recommended as the primary mode of vertical circulation for the downward
movement of customers where the vertical rise between levels is less than 6.097 m
iv) Stairs should not be provided as a means of normal public access (as distinguished from
emergency egress) where the vertical rise between levels exceeds 10.975 m.
55
c) Location
i) Stairs shall be located along the normal and direct path of passenger circulation and be
visible and easily identifiable as means of access to the levels they connect.
ii) Wherever feasible, stairs shall be paired with escalators to facilitate efficient and
economical passenger movement.
d) Width
i) Wherever practicable, all stairs shall be planned using modular width corresponding to the
applicable escalator module used in the station design (including installation and
construction tolerances), and designed to facilitate replacement by an escalator in the future.
ii) Where use of an escalator width as a modular dimension is not possible or appropriate,
the minimum width of a stair shall be 1.524 m or as determined by passenger demand based
on LOS, service standard, or emergency egress requirements.
e) Queuing and Runoff Space
Adequate queuing and runoff space must be provided at the top and bottom of all stairs.
Where a stair is paired with an escalator, the queuing and runoff areas shall coincide with
that of the adjacent escalator. Where a stair is not adjacent to or does not align with an
escalator, provide a minimum of queuing and runoff area equal to the width of the stair or
3.048 m, whichever is greater. Space shall be provided for queuing at all circulation and
passenger service elements.
f) Height and Run
The rise of the stairs shall preferably be limited to 3500 mm. However, specific site
conditions may cause an increase in this dimension. For greater rise heights, the entrances
shall be divided into two portions, the upper portion consisting of stairs for both up and down
movement and the lower portion consisting of an escalator for upward movement and a
staircase for downward movement.
Lighting, Drinking Water Supply: Where piped water supply is possible, portable drinking
water should be supplied on platform by provision of taps at the rate of one tap for two
coaches. On island platforms if the trains are expected to be received on both sides at the
same time, number of taps should be doubled.
Parking: Parking is one of the major areas in stations that is to be planned as per the careful
placement of entrance and exit gates, segregation of vehicular traffic as per the types,
proper space for long term and short term parking with a proper estimate of number and
variety of vehicles etc. The capacities shall be designed for the peak hours of the day of the
maximum seasonal peak of the design year.
56
• The provision of parking bays shall depend on average parking demand and turnover
time and Level of Service C shall be considered for future requirements.
• Parking accumulation survey, parking duration survey and classified traffic volume
surveys at entry / exits shall be done on peak days of the week for duration of 24 hours
to determine parking demand in the present condition, modal distribution of this demand
in vehicle categories such as private cars, two wheelers, buses and other category of
vehicles.
• Proposed parking shall have minimum provision of parking bays as per the baseline
studies and maintaining Level of Service C. However the provision of parking for peak
demand shall be based on established peak parking demand.
• There shall be provision of dedicated lanes (minimum width 3.5 m) for station bound
traffic for the approach roads during peak hours as determined by the station vehicle
count surveys
• The location and type of parking i.e. surface parking, underground parking or multistory
parking shall be flexible and based on the above capacity requirements. Average time
taken to find parking space and depart from parking space should be less than ten
minutes.
Perhaps parking is one of the major problem areas in the premises where railway is not able
to cope up with the unpredictable parking requirements.
57
CHAPTER 5
Sustainable Development of
Railway Stations in India: An
Integrated Approach
Contents:
5.1 Designing of Stations: A Review with Time as Fourth dimension

5.2 Sustainable Development of Railway Stations in India: The Renaissance
5.3 An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development of Indian Railway
Stations: Scope of the Work
5.3.1 Comprehensive List of Works by Land & Amenities Directorate
5.3.2 Railway Station Premises – Setting out the Scope for Research
Work
5.3.3 Approach to Sustainable Development of Stations – An Overview
5.4 Brief Information of Raipur ( Chattisgarh, India)
5.4.1 Raipur District Profile
5.4.2 Climate of Raipur
5.5 Raipur Railway Station – The Divisional Headquarters of SECR
5.6 Details of Raipur Railway Station
5.6.1 About Station Premises
5.6.2 Passenger Amenities and other Infrastructural Details
References:
Web Resources
• http://www.cg.nic.in/cglrc/cgdist.php
• http://www.gaisma.com/en
• http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-railways/railway-zones/index.html
• http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section.jsp?lang=
0&id=0,1,304,366,540,676(about Land and Amenities Directorate)
• http://www.trb-adc60.org/downloads/ASingh-GreenTOD-
complete.pdf(Green Transit Oriented Development)
• http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/india/raipur.php
• www.nweurope.eu/Inedx.php?act=project_details&id=4142(Sustations
-Achieving Sustainable Stations)
59
Chapter 5: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY STATIONS IN INDIA: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
5.1 Designing of Stations: A Review with Time as Fourth dimension
Of most important aspects of a railway terminal is its design. It is always the design of a
station building that connects the viewer with the period in history, when it was built. In some
of the interior regions of countries, the terminal was made to look like a house, fortress or
church etc. One may notice that the form of the railway station and use of materials and
finishes and the visual aspects are all dependent upon the country, its climatic conditions,
social structure economical condition etc. For instance, in third world countries, stations have
never been designed until recently. They have developed on their own, with the changes in
functional requirements. On the contrary, in countries like USA and Britain, most of the
stations have been designed by qualified / specialized people.
In a way, the railway station has an interesting history. It started off as a single pole among a
number of trees and has developed through history into a well defined platform with roof.
One can also notice today that the station actually starts off as a platform with a roof which
transforms into a complex building, cinema hall, shopping mall & what not; and all these due
to the technological advancements, social changes & changes in the economical structure of
the countries.
The flip side of the coin is the ever increasing demand of energy for construction and
operation of regular as well as state of art facilities in station complexes; which is also posing
a threat to ecology by exhausting non renewable resources. Railways being major resource
users need to understand this. In order to exist as competitors at global level Indian
Railways should take a concrete step; a wholesome approach to reduce carbon foot prints
by conserving resources is required especially when everybody in the world has become
aware of the same.
5.2 Sustainable Development of Railway Stations in India: The Renaissance
One of the greatest periods of world’s history is Renaissance. This period produced a new
style of art and architecture with freedom of thoughts. The Second Renaissance has been
perceived as a beginning of an era where in the architecture is going to breathe as an
eternal art…, an art that is ardently sensitive to Climate, Culture and Cost. It is quite evident
that any built form that is sensitive to the climate of the region, culture of the people and
above all sensitive to the cost incurred on it, is a step towards sustainable future.
60
In Indian railways The Directorate of Land and Amenities (DLA) looks after all the
developments in railway establishments while the RDSO (Research, Design and Standards
Organization) looks after all the research and developments of design of locomotives, train
coaches, wagons and the tracks. The RDSO being a very active organization is striving a lot
to reduce the carbon foot prints by virtue of energy efficient locomotives, use of bio fuel in
locomotives, green toilets in passenger trains etc. The DLA is also attempting to implement
some policies related to resource conservation (energy and water) in railway establishments,
but most of the proposals are still in the pipe line. It can therefore be concluded that greening
the railways has just started but it is yet to gain momentum…
Until the recent past is it has been observed that the railways did not plan for a new station
premises with appropriate foresight in terms of future growth, demands and issues; often
leading to lack of facilities and phase to phase unplanned future development. Unplanned
and ill-planned extension of station platforms, building blocks, concourse areas and parking
spaces most of the times, need lot much of time, money and resources (both energy and
manpower) at the same time.
Looking at all these issues it has become now imperative to formulate policies for
sustainable development and propose new station premises with proper vision where by a
new station can support the current demands and may be transformed and upgraded with
minimum possible wastage of time, money and resources. This very vision propels the
thought process and evolves the concept of “Integrated Approach to Sustainable
Development of Railway Station Premises” in the country. This concept can also be
implemented in to the existing station premises by adopting resource conserving techniques
both for construction and operation of the buildings as well.
Railway transport is (and will remain) by far the most environment friendly form of motorized
transport in our country. Nevertheless, the railway should not rest on its green laurels but
continuously should strive to improve in order to meet the growing expectations of society
and become an ever better, quieter and cleaner neighbor. Therefore, the most effective
contribution to the greening of rail transport in India is to encourage a modal shift to the
entire railway network from tracks to trains and last but not the least the railway
establishments. It is therefore important to acknowledge that environmental measures are
not to jeopardize the overall competitiveness of the railways but to make railways self
sustainable for existence.
61
5.3 An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development of Indian Railway

Stations: Scope of the Work
Railway establishments are too large and so widely spread across the country that makes it
difficult to handle if the green pursuits are proposed for whole of the establishment, therefore
to carry out the study and implementing the green pursuits conveniently the scale of
research work is restricted up to railway station premises only. In order to get an idea of the
extent of railway establishment in the country a list of the works undertaken by the DLA,
Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) is given below:
5.3.1 Comprehensive List of Works by Land & Amenities Directorate: The Land and
Amenities Directorate (L&A), looks after the development of the whole railway establishment
area. This directorate is responsible for each and every developmental activity taking place
in areas under the jurisdiction of railways. Following are the major areas-
About Land and Amenities
LM(B)
1. Extension/Raising levels of Platforms, which do not involve yard remodeling.
2. Provision/Extension of cover over Platforms.
3. Renovation/Remodeling of Station Building.
4. Provision/Extension of foot over bridges on Platforms for bonafide passengers.
5. Approach road – construction/maintenance of station approach roads within the
Railway premises.
6. Development of circulating area within the station premises.
7. Provision of waiting hall/rooms.
8. Provision of source of water supply at Station premises.
9. Planting of shady trees on Platforms.
10. Parliamentary/Consultative Committee works relating to above subject.
11. Annual Works Program in connection with Passenger Amenity Works.
12. Construction of foot over bridges at Stations.
13. Beautification of stations by planting ornamental trees, foliage etc.
LM(B) – 1
1. (a) Construction of Service Buildings, Hospitals, Clubs, Institutes, Community
Halls, Holiday Homes, Rest Houses and Rail Yatri Niwas, Hostels, Parks,
Stadium and Cinema Halls on Railways.
(b) Licensing of surplus service building to Welfare Organization.
2. Permission for additions/alterations to Railway buildings used as Temples,
Churches, and Mosques at present.
62
3. Construction/erection of statues of National Leaders in Railway premises.

4. Provision of safety measures in high rise building at construction stage.
5. Deposit works Rail Mail Service Buildings at construction stage.
6. Parliamentary Work in connection with the above subjects under Plan Head “Staff
Amenities” and “Other Specified Works”.
7. Annual Works Program in connection with the above subjects under Plan Head
“Staff Amenities” and “Other Specified Works”.
8. New Zones/New Divisions – Execution portion.
9. Heritage buildings and Apex Committee on Railway Heritage.
LM(B) – II
1. (a) Construction of Staff Quarters barracks and Officers’ Bungalow/Flats and
acquisition of land therefore.
(b) Maintenance of staff quarters/Barracks/Bungalow/Flats and fittings.
(c) Building materials – policy regarding economy in use and cost.
2. (a) Water supply in Railway Colonies.
(b) Civil Engineering Works relating to sanitation in Railway quarters/colonies.
3. (a) Hiring of Private houses/Flats for residential use of officers.
(b) Licensing/Leasing/Transfer of surplus Railway quarters for welfare purposes.
4. Indian Railway Welfare Organization (IRWO) – Organizational set up, policy and
assistance to its activities.
5. Works Program for Plan Head “Staff Quarters”.
6. Parliamentary work in connection with above subjects.
7. Railway Mining Safety Wing.
8. Source of water supply arrangements at Station/Service Buildings etc.
9. Quarrying operation.
10. Coordination in respect of items Parliamentary Committee, JCM/PNM.
11. CIDC/IBC – Correspondence related to.
LM(L)
1. Commercial utilization of Railway land/Air space.
2. Policy relating to acquisition of Railway land.
3. Transfer/relinquishment of Railway land.
4. Leasing and licensing of Railway land – Fixation of norms, rates etc.
5. Leasing/Licensing of land to Schools/Staff Welfare Organizations/Religious
Institutions.
6. Licensing of railway land for GMF.
7. Licensing of burrow pits for fishing.
63
8. Licensing of Collieries/mines.
9. Afforestation on Railway land/Environment.
10. Earning from land resources.
11. Policy relating to renewable source of energy.
12. Act:-
i) Land Acquisition Act.
ii) Defense of India Act relating to Railway lands.
iii) Delhi Master Plans relating to Railway land in Delhi.
iv) Public Premises (Eviction of unauthorized occupation).
13. Encroachments on Railway land – prevention and removal.
14. Certification/Maintenance of Land Plans.
15. Way leave facilities through railway land.
16. National Policy on Resettlement & Rehabilitation.
17. Provision of Fencing/boundary wall to prevent encroachments.
18. Coordination work for all Parliamentary Committee.
5.3.2 Railway Station Premises – Setting out the Scope for Research Work: The
overview of the scope of works being undertaken by the L&A Directorate gives a clear idea
of the vast and wide spread establishments of railways in the country. The research work
under the title of “Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development of Indian Railway
Stations” can be restricted up to railway station premises. The major activity areas of the
premises are:
• Railway Platforms with the Tracks

• Station Building Complex
• Reservation Office
• Parcel Booking Office and
• Parking areas
The remaining areas like railway maintenance workshops, goods shed, station yard etc. are
not been considered for the proposal. For the purpose of setting out guidelines and also for
the findings based on calculations Raipur railway station is selected as a model. While
the book and net studies of certain other big and smaller stations is carried out and
mentioned just to get the data basis required for the research work.
64
5.3.3 Approach to Sustainable Development of Stations – An Overview: Indian

Railways – the world’s second largest railway system, has at present, some 8000 stations
serving the widespread network of railway tracks across the country. While considering
Indian Railways and Environment we need to look at the kind of issues that are relevant
here.
• Energy consumed in designing, construction, maintenance and functioning of stations.
• Garbage discarded by passengers and staff in trains and at stations.
• Consumption of tremendous amounts of water and its wastage in stations.
• An ever increasing demand of new halts(Stations) and simultaneously the pressure on
railway authorities to meet the demand quickly with least efforts
In order to give recommendations for sustainable development / redevelopment of new and

existing stations, an integrated method of assessment is required. This project report essays
to compile some of the energy efficiency technologies combined with a few aspects of
sustainable development for railway stations under following subheads:
• Building Management
• Energy Management
• Water Management
• Waste Management
5.4 Brief Information of Raipur (Chhattisgarh, India)
5.4.1 Raipur District Profile: Raipur District is situated in the fertile plains of Chhattisgarh
state in India. This District is situated between 22o 33’ N to 21o 14' N Latitude and 82o 6' E to
81o 38' E Longitude. The District is surrounded by District Bilaspur in North, District Bastar
and part of Orissa state in South, District Raigarh and part of Orissa state in East and district
Durg in West. The district occupies the south eastern part of the upper Mahanadi valley and
the bordering hills in the south and the east. Thus, the district is divided into two major
physical divisions, viz., the Chhattisgarh plain and the hilly areas. Mahanadi is the principal
river of this district. Its tributaries being Sendur, Pairy, Sondur, Joan, Kharun and Shivnath;
the fertility of lands of Raipur district can be attributed to the presence of these rivers.
5.4.2 Climate of Raipur: The region falls in composite climatic zone which experiences
three distinct seasons with peak summer temperature going as high as 47o C, while in
65
winters the mercury drops down to 10o C. The average annual rainfall received by the city is
about 1288 mm. The winters are tolerable but summers are quite warm and dry. The city
therefore faces a severe problem of water scarcity in summers when all the natural sources
of water get dried off and the water table goes extremely low. The climatic data given below
helps in understanding the nature of climate in this region.
RAIPUR PERIOD: 1951-1980
Mean Mean Mean

Mean Number of days with
Temperature (o C) Total Number
Month
Rainfall of Rainy
Daily Daily
(mm) Days HAIL THUNDER FOG SQUALL
Minimum Maximum
Jan 13.3 27.5 6.7 0.8 0.0 0.7 0.5 0.1
Feb 16.5 31.1 12.3 1.0 0.2 1.4 0.1 0.1
Mar 20.8 35.5 24.6 1.7 0.1 3.6 0.1 0.2
Apr 25.3 39.6 15.7 1.6 0.0 4.7 0.0 0.2
May 28.3 42.0 18.8 1.9 0.0 5.5 0.0 1.0
Jun 26.5 37.4 189.8 9.3 0.0 11.8 0.0 0.7
Jul 24.0 30.8 381.0 16.0 0.0 9.6 0.0 0.2
Aug 23.9 30.2 344.7 15.7 0.0 8.8 0.0 0.1
Sep 23.9 31.3 230.2 9.7 0.1 9.0 0.0 0.2
Oct 21.5 31.6 53.9 3.6 0.0 3.0 0.3 0.0
Nov 16.5 29.6 7.4 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Dec 13.2 27.3 3.7 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0
Annual 21.1 32.8 1288.8 62.3 0.4 58.4 1.2 2.8
Table5.1 – Table showing details of temperature and rainfall at Raipur district
66
Sun path
Today
June 21
December 21
Annual variation
Equinox (March. and September)

Sunrise/sunset
Sunrise
Sunset
Time
00-02
03-05
06-08
09-11
Figure 5.1 – Sunpath diagram for Raipur
12-14
15-17
18-20
21-23
Table 5.2 – Climate guide of Raipur District
67
5.5 Raipur Railway Station – The Divisional Headquarters of SECR
Due to the efforts of the chief minister Dr. Raman Singh, Raipur the capital of Chhattisgarh
state is booming rapidly to become a mega city. Raipur railway station is the divisional
headquarters of one of the youngest railway zones, the SECR (South East Central Railway,
becoming functional on 20th September 1998). Of a total of 17 railway zones in the country,
as SECR is located centrally and acts as a link between many of the railway zones, this
zone figures among one of the major zones with its huge number of passenger and freight
traffic round the year. There are three divisions functioning under this zone viz. Nagpur,
Bilaspur and Raipur.
Table 5.3 – Details of railway zones across the country
68
Figure 5.2 – Railway map of Chhattisgarh with a few recent photographs of Raipur
railway station
69
Figure 5.3 – Schematic plan of Raipur railway station
5.6 Details of Raipur Railway Station
5.6.1 About Station Premises: Raipur being an interchange station and divisional
headquarters of SECR Railway zone, is one of the busiest railway stations of central India.
Interchange stations are designed for both street as well as interchange passengers hence
the greater infrastructure also needs greater amount of water and energy per day, such
stations, because of their greater infrastructure and more facilities are spread over a
comparatively larger area.
The station premises are spread over an area of 40,0000 sqm. (4.0 Hectares), admeasuring
approximately 800 m x 500 m. As seen in the plan of the station. There is huge parking area
which is paved; the station building is aligned with the E-W track orientation, total 6 numbers
of platforms together with the sunken track areas in between, share three shelters in
common. These are the major portions considered for the purpose of harvesting rain water
and generating power with PV panels.
70
5.6.2 Passenger Amenities and other Infrastructural Details: Raipur Railway Station
holds the A1 category as per the infrastructural facilities. The following data in a tabulated
form which was acquired from the office of Sr. Divisional Commercial Manager is helpful at
several places for calculations and other similar purposes.
Table 5.4 – Details of passenger amenities at Raipur railway station
71
Table5.5 – Summery of passenger amenities at Raipur railway station
Table 5.6 – Details of ticket sale per day and number of trains crossing Raipur junction
per day
On the basis of above mentioned information it can be thus summarized that Raipur station
being the divisional head quarters is one of the busiest intermediate stations of central India
with the trains as many as 119 in numbers crossing the station per day and that of
passengers and visitors as 80600 people approximately during peak periods like summer
vacations and festive seasons. The data and figures thus acquired for this station are further
utilized in the chapters ahead.
72
CHAPTER 6
Building Management: an
Effective Tool for Sustainable
Development in Railway Stations
Contents:
6.1 Building Management: The Context

6.2 Station Planning and Designing: Current Practice
6.3 Climate, Culture & Cost Sensitive Approach to Sustainable Building
Design
6.3.1 Climatic Design
6.3.2 Building Materials, Significance and Impact on Cost and
Environment
6.3.3 Cost Effective Building Design
6.3.4 Culture Sensitive Approach to Design
6.4 Heritage Value of Transportation Structures
6.5 Specific Applications of Concept of 3 C’s in Railway Stations
6.6 Scope of Building Management in Raipur Station
References:
Print Resources
• Jaiswal H. N., Ahmed Salloun & Mukul P., Adoption of Green
Buildings in Indian railways, A Project Report Guided by Sarda N. C.,
Sr. Prof( Works)Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering Pune.
• Nayak J. K.,Hazra R. & Prajapati J., Manual on Solar Passive
Architecture, Solar Energy Centre, MNES, Government of India, 1999
• Proceedings of Journal of Indian building Congress, Volume - 13
Number – 3, Seminar on ‘Green Buildings’ December 15-16,2006 at
Raipur (Chattisgarh)India
• Sengupta Nilanjan, , An Article on Use of Cost Effective Construction
Technologies in India to Mitigate Climate Change
• Sustainable Building Design Manual Volume 2, The Energy and
Web Resources
• http://sepindia.org/ihd-sep/ceeef-technologies(Society for
Environment Protection, Cost Effective Construction Technologies)
• www.urbanecology.org.au/ecocity2/incrementalchange.html(August
28, 2003)
73
Chapter 6: BUILDING MANAGEMENT: AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RAILWAY
STATIONS
6.1 Building Management: The Context
Building management here is referred to as, all the efforts taken for a building right from
conceiving to converting it in to a reality by means of climate sensitive, cost effective and
culture sensitive guidelines, techniques and solutions. Though the management of building
is not to exclude the operation of the building, for the sake of convenience the maintenance
and operation in the due course of time for a building is kept and dealt separately.
6.2 Station Planning and Designing: Current Practice
Since the colonial period when the first train ran between Mumbai and Thane, the station
design has undergone major shift from a station merely with a platform and trees for shelters
to modern station buildings with state of arts facilities. Today the railway stations in our
country are designed with all the passenger amenities as per the category, confirming to the
standards but in most of the structures an attempt to energy efficient and cost effective
design is probably not made with a preference. As a result of that despite having spent a
huge amount over such projects the comfort and convenience of the users could not be
ensured. More over if the buildings are not designed according to the climate of the region
and also as per the requirements of the native people, it will lead to enormous expenditure in
energy and cost for maintaining indoor comfort for the life time of building. This is what is
happening in most of the station buildings. The other noticeable thing is lack of proper
planning for phase wise development and up gradation of station premises considering
projected and estimated figures for future planning. The probable remedy to all such
planning and designing related issues in stations is to start with the basic planning of
building and premises considering principles of climate sensitive & cost effective user
friendly designs that also signify the unique identity of the place and country as iconic
structures of the region.
6.3 Climate, Culture & Cost Sensitive Approach to Sustainable Building Design
6.3.1 Climatic Design: In different parts of world, man has found various solutions for
protection against unkind conditions through locally available materials and techniques what
is now referred as vernacular architecture. Inspired from the same age old vernacular
74
STATIONS
techniques, added with some more flavors as per the current trends and need is derived the
Climate Conscious Architecture. The same is sometimes referred as Energy Efficient
Architecture, Energy Conscious Architecture, Bioclimatic Architecture, Eco Friendly
Architecture and Passive Solar Architecture also. A climatic design or passive solar design
can be well understood by the following aspects:
• A climatic design or passive solar design involves methods of collecting, storing,
distributing and controlling thermal energy flow by means of natural principles of heat
transfer.
• Passive systems have no separate devices for collecting energy or storage units or
even the mechanical means for transporting heat in to the indoors of into the outer
space from the indoors as it is required. Instead these make use of the energy available
in the immediate environment and effect energy exchanges through natural processes.
• The term natural energy flow is not a synonym for ‘unregulated energy flow’; in fact the
flow can be reasonably regulated by controls such as dampers, openable windows,
movable insulation of shading devices, etc.
• In any design one can employ simple techniques such as orientation, shading of
windows, colors, vegetation, water etc. an intelligent use of such simple techniques may
considerably minimize the level of discomfort inside the building. This in turn reduces
the consumption of energy required to maintain comfortable indoor conditions.
• In extreme climatic conditions comfortable indoor conditions cannot be completely
achieved by limiting oneself to simple techniques. In such situations, advanced passive
techniques such as wind tower, roof pond, evaporative cooling etc may need to be
employed.
• Passive systems offer a number of advantages; these afford large savings of energy
and can be included in to the designs of buildings at little or no additional cost.
• Common materials can be used with innovations to improve the performance of building
and can be subsequently maintained by people with little technical knowledge.
The techniques of climatic design can be further divided in to Simple and Advanced
Techniques.
I. Simple Solar Passive Techniques: those which can be easily incorporated in to the
design with least of special efforts and without much additional cost.
75
STATIONS
Simple Solar Passive Techniques
Site Conditions Building Orientation Plan Form Building Envelope
Macro Micro Roofs

Climate Climate
Walls
Land Form
Fenestrations
Vegetation
External Color
Water Bodies &Texture
Roads and Open Spaces Shading Devices
Ratio of Open to Built Form
Table6.1 – Simple Solar Passive Techniques
The consideration to above mentioned simple techniques will depend on factors like type of
the building, location and clientage etc. nevertheless, for station buildings most of these can
be easily applied. An abstract of the above mentioned techniques is given to serve as a
guideline:
• Study and Application of Existing Macro and Micro Climatic Conditions-The local
climatic conditions should be studied and suitably used for the benefit of station
premises.
• Modifying Micro Climate- Natural features like water, vegetation land form etc can be
effectively utilized to modify the local climatic conditions of the premises.
• Zoning and Appropriate Selection of Orientation & Planform- The Existing track lay
out and direction may become a constraint for selecting suitable planform and orientation
for station buildings and platforms, because the stations are normally developed along
the existing tracks. Yet there are options that may give a better response to the climate
of the region.
• Appropriate Selection of Techniques and Building Materials for Building Envelope-
Building envelope consists of roof, walls, fenestration and shading devices as the major
elements through which the indoor climate can be controlled.
76
STATIONS
Roofs – The form and material may be suitably taken as per the climatic region
Walls – The thickness and material of walls along with the color and texture is a major
consideration for control over heat flow from outdoor to indoors and vice versa.
Fenestration – The percentage of openings with respect to floor area, location and size
of openings greatly influences the indoor environment quality by regulating flow of heat
and amount of light. The material of shutters for openings should also be carefully
decided to serve specific purpose of heat and light penetration.
Shading Devices – The type and dimension and material of shading devices is also an
influencing factor for admitting and curtailing the heat and light inside. The material and
surfaces may be used as absorbers or reflectors of light and heat.
II. Advanced Solar Passive Techniques: These are the techniques that require careful
integration of some additional features in building to suit the conditions.
Advanced Solar Passive Techniques
Cooling Common Heatinng

Techniques Techniques(Heating Techniques
Evaporative /Cooling)
Cooling Direct Gain
Nocturnal Trombe Wall
Radiation Cooling Solar Solarium
Passive Desiccant Chimney Trans Wall
Cooling Roof Pond Isolated Gain
Induced Ventilation Roof
Radiation
Earth Sheltering Trap
Earth Air Tunnel Water Wall

Curved Roofs and
Vents
Insulation
Vary Therm Wall
Wind Tower
Table 6.2 – Types of Advanced Solar Passive Techniques
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Figure6.1 – Illustrations of advanced solar passive heating and cooling techniques
The Illustrations of advanced techniques(figure6.1) give a broad idea of scope of

adopting such techniques in all most all the building types including railway station
buildings. Depending upon the climate of the place and heating or cooling needs the
techniques may be suitably adapted. The table on the next page shows the adaptability
of advanced techniques with respect to climatic regions.
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Table 6.3 – Adaptability of advanced solar passive techniques in different climatic

regions of the country
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Design Guide Lines with Respective

Climatic Zones:
The advanced techniques mentioned above

are subject to the climatic region and
availability of sun, wind and water as most
of these techniques are based on natural
processes. A brief outline of the techniques
that may be appropriately used in railway
stations is given below.
Figure 6.2 – Map showing six major climatic

zones of Indian subcontinent
All the simple and advanced techniques of climatic design may be suitably adopted as per
the climatic conditions of the place. As it is well known that based on climatic factors the
Indian subcontinent is divided into six climatic zones (figure6.2), the design approach for all
the buildings including railway stations should have a reference of the respective climatic
zone and accordingly the design principles could be adopted to suit the conditions. Following
table broadly gives the summery of guidelines for desirable comfort conditions for all the six
climatic regions of the subcontinent:-
I. Hot and Dry Region
OBJECTIVES PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION
1. Resist heat gain

a) Decrease exposed surface area Orientation and shape of building
b) Increase thermal resistance Insulation of building envelope
c) Increase thermal capacity (Time lag) Massive structure
d) Increase buffer spaces Air locks/lobbies/balconies/verandahs
e) Decrease air exchange rate Weather stripping and scheduling air
(Ventilation during day-time) changes
f) Increase shading External surfaces protected by overhangs,
fins and trees.
g) Increase surface reflectivity Pale color, glazed china mosaic tiles, etc.
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2. Promote heat loss

a) Ventilation of appliances Provide windows/ exhausts
b) Increase air exchange rate (Ventilation Courtyards/ wind towers/ arrangement of
during night-time) openings
c) Increase humidity levels Trees, water ponds, evaporative cooling
II. Warm and Humid Region
1. Resist heat gain

b) Increase thermal resistance Roof insulation and wall insulation
Reflective surface of roof
c) Increase buffer spaces Balconies and verandahs
d) Increase shading Walls, glass surface protected by
overhangs, fins and trees
e) Increase surface reflectivity Pale color, glazed china mosaic tiles, etc.

a) Ventilation of appliances Provide windows/exhausts
b) Increase air exchanges rate (Ventilation Ventilation in roof construction, courtyards,
throughout the day) wind tower and arrangement of openings
c) Decrease humidity levels Dehumidifiers/ desiccant cooling
III. Moderate Region
1. Resist heat gain

b) Increase thermal resistance Roof insulation and east and west wall
insulation
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c) Increase shading East and west walls, glass surfaces

protected by overhangs, fins and trees.
d) Increase surface reflectivity Pale colour, glazed china mosaic tiles,etc.

a) Ventilation of appliances Provide windows/exhausts.
b) Increase air exchange rate (Ventilation) Courtyards and arrangement of openings.
IV. Cold and Cloudy Region (Applies for cold and sunny also)
1. Resist heat loss

a) Increase exposed surface area Orientation and shape of building. Use of as
wind barriers
b) Decrease thermal resistance Roof insulation, wall insulation and double
glazing
c) Decrease thermal capacity (Time lag) Thicker walls
d) Decrease buffer spaces Air locks/ Lobbies
e) Increase air exchange rate Weather stripping
f) Increase surface absorbtivity Darker colors
2. Promote heat gain

a) Decrease shading Walls and glass surfaces
b) Heat from appliances Sun spaces/green houses/Trombe walls etc.
V. Composite Region
1. Heat gain in summer and resist loss in winter

a) Increase exposed surface area Orientation and shape of building. Use of
trees as wind barriers.
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b) Decrease thermal resistance Roof insulation and wall insulation

c) Increase thermal capacity (Time lag) Thicker walls
d) Decrease buffer spaces Air locks/ Balconies
e) Decrease air exchanges rate Weather stripping
f) Increase shading Walls, glass surfaces protected by
overhangs, fins and trees.
g) Decrease surface reflectivity Pale color, glazed china mosaic tiles, etc.
2. Promote heat loss in summer/ monsoon

a) Ventilation of appliances Provide exhausts
b) Increase air exchanges rate (Ventilation) Courtyards/ winds towers/ arrangement of
openings
c) Increase humidity levels in dry summer Trees and water ponds for evaporative
cooling
d) Decrease humidity in monsoon Dehumidifiers/ desiccant cooling
An approach to climatic design of buildings is incomplete without considering careful

selection and application of building materials for elements of the building. The appropriate
selection of materials not only enhances the comfort level but the same is also the most
important factor for limiting the cost of the structure.
As building industry is one of the major sectors responsible for disturbing the ecosystem and
eventually causing a serious threat to environment, it is now imperative to consider the
environmental impact of various materials used for construction. Hence a study and analysis
on performance of materials clubbed with the cost and environmental impact forms a subpart
of climatic design approach.
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6.3.2 Building Materials, Significance and

Impact on Cost and Environment: For
years the Building Industry has been
dependant on a seemingly endless supply of
high quality materials, supplies and energy
resources. Rarely has this practice been
judged with respect to the environmental
impact of using these materials; the
environmental ‘costs’ that go in to extracting,
producing, manufacturing, transporting,
installing and recycling these materials. Costs
include depletion of resources production of
waste byproducts, amount of pollutants
released and the habitat that surrounds them.
Hence the environmental impact of all the
materials needs to be evaluated.
Sustainably Managed Materials: The use of

sustainably managed materials is an
environmental responsibility in contributing
towards a sustainable habitat. The
Table 6.4 – Comparative energy
sustainable materials have five major benefits.
requirements for various building
materials
1. They have a similar or lower price
compared to traditional materials.
2. They do not exhaust the existing supplies
of finite materials.
3. They save energy and reduce harmful
emissions.
4. As they are encouraged by building
control, planning permissions are more likely
to be received
Table 6.5 – Classification of building 5. Since they are less harmful to the
materials as per energy intensity occupants, they make healthier buildings
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Embodied Energy of Building Materials:

The embodied energy (Table6.6) or energy
content of a building material is the scalar
total of the energy input required to produce
a product and energy used in transportation.
The embodied energy symbolizes the
Quotient of its environmental friendliness,
reflecting the material’s closeness to the
earth; the more it is refined or processed the
more energy it contains and therefore more
environmentally expensive. The following
table gives the idea of materials preferable
Table 6.6 – Criteria of calculating
embodied energy of a material for a sustainable construction
Sustainably Managed Alternatives for Building Materials:

- Cement mixed with 15 – 30% of Fly Ash or Cement with 25 – 30% Blast Furnace Slag
- Recycled Aggregate
- Lightweight Concrete
- Ferro Cement
- Gypsum (tiles, panels etc)
- Bricks of Stabilized Mud, Adobe, Fly ash+clay, Fly Ash+Lime, Fly ash+ Gypsum etc.
- Lato Blocks made from laterite soil+cement or lime
- Precast Stone Blocks made with waste stone pieces and lean cement concrete
- Sustainable wood products from saw dust, waste wood pieces etc.
- Fibre glass is a resource efficient option, allows a recycled content of up to 26%.
- Waste products like thatch, coir pine twigs etc may be appropriately used for making
composite panels for false ceiling, wall paneling etc.
- Bamboo has a wide scope as a building material.
• Apart from above listed materials the reclaimed materials and large quantity of scrap
may also be effectively used for construction purpose.
• One of the important criteria is verifying the health impact of material before it is chosen.
• As per the trend and requirements, the materials with high energy content like steel and
aluminum are the most widely used basic building materials in railway stations round the
globe. There is a need for finding out the alternate solutions for the basic structural
frame.
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Though there is an endless list of innovative materials and composite elements that can
save cost as well as energy in buildings, only core buildings elements and materials used for
constructing those elements are mentioned here.
6.3.3 Cost Effective Building Design: Cost-effective and alternate construction

technologies are useful in reducing cost of construction by reduction of quantity of building
materials through improved and innovative techniques or use of alternate low-energy
consuming materials, therefore these techniques can also play a great role in reduction of
CO 2 emission and thus help in the protection of the environment. Cost-effective construction
technologies do not compromise with the safety and security of the buildings and mostly
follow the prevailing building codes. There is a need for adoption of-• Strong, • Durable, •
Functional, • Aesthetic, • Environment friendly, • Ecologically appropriate, • Energy efficient,
• Affordable and Adaptable Cost-effective materials and appropriate technologies in
construction.
Various aspects for cost reduction are as follows:
• Optimization of land use
• Functional design of buildings
• Optimum use of building materials
• Rationalization of specifications
• New construction materials and techniques
Cost-effective Construction Technologies in Railway Stations to Mitigate Climate

Change: Concentration of greenhouse gases play major role in raising the earth’s
temperature. Carbon dioxide, produced from burning of fossil fuels, is the principle
greenhouse gas and efforts are being made at international level to reduce its emission
through adoption of energy-efficient technologies.
Cost-effective construction technologies can bring down the embodied energy level
associated with production of building materials by lowering use of energy-consuming
materials. This embodied energy is a crucial factor for sustainable construction practices and
effective reduction of the same would contribute in mitigating global warming. The cost-
effective construction technologies would emerge as the most acceptable case of
sustainable technologies in India both in terms of cost and environment
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Some of the Cost effective appropriate Technologies are described in the table below:
Building Component Alternative Systems
 Random rubble masonry in mud/cement mortar placed in

excavation over thick sand bed. Rubble pointing above
ground level in stabilized cement mortar.
 Use of lean cement concrete mix 1:8:16 for base with brick
masonry in 1:6 cement mortar footings.
 Use of lean cement concrete mix as above for base and over
burnt brick masonry in cement lime mortar (1:2:12) footings.
Foundations  Arch foundations in place of spread foundations
 Brick work in 1:6 cement mortar using bricks from black

cotton and inferior soil stabilized with fly-ash.
 Rat-trap bond brick work in 1:2:12 cement lime mortar/1:1.5:3
cement sand mortar.
 Hollow concrete block masonry in cement mortar.
 Compressed mud blocks masonry in mud mortar.
 Stabilized mud blocks masonry (4% cement or lime) in
stabilized mud mortar.
 Sand lime brick walls in 1:6 cement mortar.
Walls  FAL-G sand block with 1:6 cement mortar.
 Domes and vaults in brick or stabilized mud block with

appropriate mortar.
 Upgraded thatch roof on appropriate frame work.
 Pre-cast RCC “L” panel
 Precast RCC cored units in M15 concrete.
 Precast RCC channel units in M15 concrete
 Precast Waffle units in M15 concrete
Roofs  Burnt clay tube roofing in vault form.
 Filler slabs
Roof/ intermediate  Partly precast RCC planks and joist in M15 concrete.
slab  Partly precast RCC joist and brick panels
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 Partly precast RCC in hollow concrete blocks

 Thin RCC ribbed slabs
 Ferrocement channels
 Brick funicular shell on edge beam
 Bamboo reinforced concrete
 Brick funicular shells with RCC edge beams
 Brick jack arched over RCC joist
Roof/ intermediate  Precast RCC cored units in M15 concrete.
slab (continued)  Precast RCC channel units in M15 concrete
 Brick arches : Flat, semi circular and segmented

 Precast thin lintel and lintel cum chajja
 Brick arch with sand stone chajja
Spanning elements  Ferro cement chajjas
for openings
 Precast RCC frames with wood insert

 Resin bonded saw dust frame
Door cum window  Polyvinyl chloride frame
frames  Fiber reinforced plastic frame
 Plantation timber styles with particle board inserts.

 Medium density fiber board doors.
 Cement bonded particle board
 Plantation timber style with rice husk board inserts
 Red mud polymer panel doors.
 Ferro cement doors
Door panels  Polyvinyl chloride doors panels.
Table 6.7 – A list of cost effective construction techniques for

various building elements
6.3.4 Culture Sensitive Approach to Design:The culture sensitive approach to design

here refers to the design that reflects the culture of the place which further encompasses the
lifestyle of the people their likes & dislikes with their specific needs(both phisiological and
psychological). The culture may get reflected through the design mainly by virtue of quality of
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spaces, building materials and techniques. The buildings which are designed with the above
aspects in mind are sustainable designs because they are user friendly designs.
Getting influenced by foreign trends and adopting those guide lines which are not fit for our
conditions is a common mistake done for the sake of giving contemporary and impressive
looks to the building. Many of the Buildings including railway station premises are also
suffering from the same noncontextual approach.The transport hubs with a special mention
of railway stations which are used by common mass are being rennovated, designed and
redesigned with least consideration to the users preferance and comfort.
Figure 6.3 – Face lifting of southern façade of station building at Raipur -work in
progress, seen in the picture are aluminum composite panels and curtain walling giving a
dominant contemporary look to the building (Photographed in August 2011)
The picture above (Figure6.3) highlights the face lifting work in progress for the station
building at Raipur, which falls under composite climatic zone. The southern facade i.e. the
facade which would receive maximum solar radiation almost throughout the year is treated
with aluminum composite panels and curtain glazing. As a part of renovation the flooring was
initially done with granite which is so smooth to walk on (especially in a hurry) that as per
one news report it caused the ’downfall’ of at least a dozen people with their luggage thrown
around. This is just a small example of how modernization is being misinterpreted and is
causing inconvenience to the users. Therefore it can be concluded that a culture sensitive
design is by default a user friendly design.
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6.4 Heritage Value of Transportation Structures
In the major cities of the world, oldest cultures with some of the greatest classical
architecture are part of its architectural heritage. Transportation structures have traditionally
been the great buildings of urban society. There should be a clear awareness of the
importance and value of this along with a clear vision of the future. Railway Station is major
gateway and entrance to a city. The station should reflect the character, life style or
background of the city or community in which it is located. Hence, a Station building should
in its design reflect the culture, historical background and life style of the people of that area.
The redeveloped stations, of each Indian city should effectively play a key role in providing
the first impression of the city to the visitors arriving by train. The key elements of this vision
must, integrate a harmonious and elegant architectural statement with a comfortable and
efficient passenger experience, ease of movement, security, safety and accessibility.
Under the act of Ancient Monuments Preservation Act (India) and Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, the conservation of heritage structures in
railway stations holds prime importance, which incidentally is the first guiding principle of
sustainability. Similarly the second most important principle of sustainability is minimum
demolition or maximum recycling of existing old structures. Therefore despite much of the
operational energy being consumed to maintain such buildings they are to be conserved.
Following is a list of ten most beautiful railway stations in India that are worth conserving for
their heritage values.
Chikbalpur Railway Station: Chikballapur Station on the Bangalore-Kolar rail route is in

operation since the days of the Raj. In fact Indian Railway is still continuing with the same
building with tiled roofs in the pattern of a bungalow. Station Code: CBP
Egmore Railway Station (Chennai Central): The busy Egmore Railway Station completed
a 100 Years on June 11th 2008. The imposing facade combines perfectly Indo-Saracenic
and Dravidian architectural elements. The design of this 300 feet long and 71 feet wide
structure which began in 1905 was done by Mr. Henry Irwin and was built by Mr. Swaminada
Pillai. Station Code: MS
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Thiruvananthapuram Central
Railway Station: One of the
landmarks of Trivandrum, The
building of the Central Railway
Station at Thampanoor (figure6.4)
was inaugurated on 4 November
1931. The massive granite building,
without using any bricks, was
constructed in just three years. It had
cost Rs.40 lakhs at that time. The
building with a floor area of 17,236 sq.
Figure 6.4 – Station building at
ft was built by the Maharajah of Thiruvanathapuram (Kerala) a unique design
with granite slabs.
Travancore. Station Code: TVC
Kachiguda Railway Station: Kachiguda Railway Station is one of the three Stations in
Hyderabad. The station constructed in the year 1916 by H.E.H. Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan,
Nizam of the erstwhile Hyderabad State is architecturally most imposing in the entire South
Central Railway. It served as the HQ of the Nizam`s Guaranteed State Railway of that time.
The station built in the Gothic style of architecture also combines traditional Muslim
architecture, evident from domes and minarets. Station Code: KCG
Bikaner Railway Station: The Bikaner railway station is a small structure but the
construction is heavily drawn from the famed Rajput architecture of the city. The building is
painted brick red with white outlines around the bricks. The walls resemble parapets of fort
bastions. Station Code: BKN
Nagpur Railway Station: The main building of Nagpur Railway Station is made up of pink
sandstone just like other colonial structures of the Orange City such as RBI, High Court and
other prominent buildings. The building on the western side was constructed in 1867 and is
declared as a heritage site. Station Code: NGP
Morbi Railway Station: Morbi lies in Rajkot district just 64 km from Rajkot and was the
capital of the erstwhile princely state of Morbi. Constructed by Morbi State Railway, the
Morbi Station was opened on 22nd January 1935. It resembles a palace in its imposing
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architecture with judicious combination of Indian and European architectural elements.

Station Code: MVI
Charbagh Railway Station: Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow resembling a palace has
a strong Mughal architectural influence. The station was built in 1914 at a whopping cost of
Rs 70 lakhs. The Station building undoubtedly one of the finest in India has two unique
features. From an aerial view the building with its big and small domes resembles a
chessboard. Second, from outside the station building very little sound of trains can be
heard. Station Code: LKO
Cuttack Railway Station: There is something unique for Cutack Railway station in terms of
architecture. The station has been modeled as a replica of the nearby historic Barabati fort.
The bastions, domes constructed in sandstone look every inch a fort. Station Code: CTC
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: Mother of all railway buildings in India, Victoria Terminus
(VT) Station rechristened as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)(Figure6.5) features in
the world heritage list of UNESCO. The building is the finest specimen of Victorian Gothic
Revival architecture in India and also combining themes from traditional Indian architecture.
The building work started in 1878 took 10 years to complete to eventually become the
symbol of Mumbai. Station Code: CSTM
Figure 6.5 – Grand view of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, mother of all
railway buildings in India
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6.5 Specific Applications of Concept of 3 C’s in Railway Stations
The railway stations can be made more energy conscious and sustainable by adopting
certain energy efficient planning and designing principles clubbed with cost effective
solutions which are already been practiced extensively in all other building types except in
railways. Following are the criteria to handle building management of station buildings
• Location & Layout
• Built Form
• Landscaping
• Parking
Location & Layout: The location of stations should be decided with the key sustainability
objective of minimizing the transport energy used to access and service the activity, while
the overall layout should contribute to transport & building energy efficiency and
environmental management. This involves the following considerations as location relative:
o Easy availability of resources for the construction and operation of stations. This will be
the stepping-stone for a sustainable future; hence the location and layout should be
decided keeping in view the resource availability.
o Apart from serving the major function efficiently, the stations must serve some arbitrary
purposes so as to mitigate the operational cost.
o Raw materials (required for construction of stations) if available locally and easily will
definitely save the transportation cost there by conserving embodied energy.
A useful set of guidelines relating to the sustainability of layout is:

o Since conservation is one of the major objectives of sustainability, the layout of stations
should retain existing features (natural and manmade) like trees and existing buildings if
any, which can efficiently be used/reused.
o It should provide for compatible and mutually supportive mixed uses with a provision of
expected future growth with least of deconstruction.
o Barrier free environment achieved by passive means of construction so as to enable
easy movement of old people, patients and physically challenged ones. Our stations are
yet to comply with such norms.
Built Form: Most of our station buildings are still being constructed by following old
traditional methods like use of bulky steel sections for the over head bridges and platform
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shelters etc., provision of huge spaces for guest accommodation & toilets which was an old
traditional way of showing the power of bureaucracy (adopted from colonial style of
buildings) and use of unnecessarily strong building elements (Figure6.6) etc. The key
sustainability objective here would be to optimize the use of ‘embodied energy’, and to
minimize ‘operational energy’.
Figure 6.6 – Standard design of platform shelter and foot over bridge with heavy steel
members, seen in the photograph
Use of bulky materials in the overhead bridge and the platform shelter is overtly apparent in
the above photographs.
Major considerations for embodied energy are:

o The amount and type of material used to construct the building.
o The longevity and adaptability of the structure
Major considerations for operational energy are:
o The control of heat gain and heat loss by sharing walls and floors between the buildings.
o The ability to maximize use of natural daylight (viz. by keeping the depth of building
around 10-14m and optimizing the window size).
o Minimizing excessive heating in summers (viz. through proper orientation of spaces, time
lag, window size, shading etc)
o Minimizing excessive cooling in winters by logical planning, shared walls and floors and
draught proofing etc.
o Use of natural ventilation through strategic location of windows.
o Minimizing internal transport energy use (viz. by avoiding the use of lifts escalators and
moving walkways etc.)
o Careful zoning of the spaces where air conditioner is to be used, so as to minimize the
load on the A. C.
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o Provisions for future expansion should be kept in mind while designing the basic
requirements.
o Careful selection of building materials either traditional or innovative is equally
acceptable provided they are energy savers. Some of the innovative materials are
composite panels like Solarcrete and Papercrete (used as wall and floor panels),
Autoclaved Cellular Concrete blocks, Radiant Barriers (used as ceiling and wall
insulation), some green paints made out of plant extracts etc.
When the built form is considered for the railway stations, the station building
(accommodating ticket counters, control rooms, working areas for station superintendent &
other crew members, waiting rooms, retiring rooms for staff, parcel booking, restaurants as
the basic facilities) and the platform shelters are the two major built forms for which the
planning and designing may incorporate climatic & cost effective design principles.
Platform Shelters: The platforms in Indian conditions are normally semi open structures
having certain limitations with the shape & size, orientation (parallel to the track following the
same orientation) and shelter design (to accommodate the height of train) as a result of this
the scope of climatic design is restricted, yet there is a scope to revise the design of platform
shelters to receive the solar panels (as per the latitude of place) at the roof. However if the
truss forms are redesigned with economical sections and roof coverings with innovations like
building integrated photovoltaic panels, such solutions may lead to energy efficient cost
effective designs. The shelter can thus serve the dual purpose of harvesting solar energy
with the basic aim of providing shelter to platforms.
Station Building:
Figure 6.7 - Typical layout of Indian railway stations with the platforms and station
building, parallel to tracks.
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Depicted above (Figure6.7) is the general layout of a station with long platforms parallel to
the track and the station building also developed in a linear fashion parallel to both platform
& track. Keeping the standard layout of station building in mind certain climatic design
considerations could be adopted for the exposed long wall of station building with two major
cases as heat gain required and heat gain not required.
Heat Gain required: The buildings in colder regions require lesser surface to volume ratio
(as shown in the figure6.8 for volume a), to minimize heat losses building while the heat gain
can be encouraged through provision of sunspaces, curtain walling and even
skylights(Figure6.9) with heat absorbing glasses etc. in the long exposed walls
Figure 6.8 – Relation of surface to volume Figure 6.9 – Provision of sunspace and
ratio with masses of same volume. skylight in the southern façade of station
buildings in colder regions
Heat Gain not required: In warmer regions like hot & dry and composite climates the sun
penetration in summers is not
required rather curtailing
down the amount of heat and
increasing the humidity level
is the objective which can be
fulfilled by achieving lesser
surface to volume ratio
(figure 6.8 volume a)
provision of wind towers,
solar chimney (figure6.10)
and /fountains (figure 6.11)
where water is sufficiently
available.
Figure 6.10 – Roof of station buildings may be
designed with solar chimney, suitable equally for cold,
warm and composite climatic regions
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Figure 6.11 – Provision of Figure 6.12 – Cross ventilation to

fountains for adding overcome excessive humidity levels-a
humidity to air simple solution for all buildings in a station
In warm and humid places where heat gain is again not required the spaces also demand lot
of cross circulation of air (figure 6.12) which can be accomplished by locating openings of
not less than 35% of floor area, strategically on opposite long walls of station building.
The Exposed surface areas of station buildings may also be constructed with ‘Papercrete’ or
‘Solarcrete’ blocks(figure6.14) to serve as heat insulator, alternatively the application of thin
layered sheet called as ‘radiant barrier’ (figure6.13) may also be pasted to surfaces that are
exposed to southern and western sun.
Figure6.13 - Heat reflecting properties of Radiant Barrier
Figure6.14 – Solarcrete
block and wall
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Landscaping: Though landscaping provided in station premises cannot always contribute to

energy efficient design but it can undisputedly serve in implementing sustainable means like
water harvesting and green environment. In some places a strategic planning of built spaces
versus open landscaped areas may contribute to energy efficiency too. Here are the major
considerations:
o To retain existing large trees and plant new ones, so as to filter the air and minimize
sound pollution.
o Designing of planted areas for minimal watering yet allowing maximum infiltration of
storm water runoff.
o Reducing hard ground surfaces in order to minimize radiation effect and allowing
maximum infiltration (recharging) of rain water.
Parking: Parking space and vehicular movement within the station premises is one of the
major bottlenecks. This needs great attention while planning. Major considerations include
the following:
o Segregation of vehicle parking is of prime concern, as it leads to congestion and
mismanagement if not given proper thought.
o Provision of space for future expansion of parking lots should be made, after establishing
data of expected no of vehicles for future for a period of at least 20 years.
o A baseline traffic assessment study shall be done to assess the needs and project
requirements for the horizon design year. The provision of parking bays shall depend on
average parking demand and turnover time and Level of Service C shall be considered
for future requirements
o The location and type of parking i.e. surface parking, underground parking or multistory
parking shall be flexible and based on the capacity requirements stated below in the
table no.
o Average time taken to find parking space and depart from parking space should be less
than ten minutes.
o All competing modes including private cars, private two wheelers, auto rickshaws, taxies,
public transport buses / mini buses shall have provisions for proper parking facilities
within the station complex.
o All circulation roads shall be free of on street parking.
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The provision of parking for peak demand shall be as follows based on established peak
parking demand.
Sr.No. Vehicle Category Mandatory Parking Provision
1. Personalized Cars Minimum60 %
2. Personalized Two Wheelers Minimum 75 %
3. Taxies Minimum 50 %
4. Auto rickshaws & other IPT Minimum 50 %
5. Cycles Minimum 80 %
6. Public Transport Minimum 80 %
7. Other modes Minimum 50 %
Table 6.8 – Parking provisions (for peak demand)
6.6 Scope of Building Management in Raipur Station
The principles of climate culture and cost sensitive design can be applied in the planning and
designing of new buildings where as the existing station buildings have a very less scope of
the same. However the expansion and face lifting of existing stations do have certain scope
of adopting some of the guidelines of sustainable development.
The railway station at Raipur has undergone a major renovation and expansion work soon
after the state was formed and the city was declared as the capital. Following points could
have been considered for the redevelopment of the premises to meet the goals of
sustainable design-
• The station being the gateway of a state, rich in natural as well as mineral resources,
bestowed with a very unique culture having higher heritage values, could have been
redesigned with the front façade show casing traditional style of art and architecture
instead of massive appearance given by curtain walling and aluminum composite panels.
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STATIONS
• The extended parts of the station building could incorporate the features of climatic
design and cost effective design considering the climate of Raipur as composite.
• Careful selection of material with low embodied energy could have been a wiser step
towards the strategy of energy saving.
Building management which is perceived in railway station structures with the principle of
3C’s viz. Climate, Cost and Culture sensitive design is an approach in which all the three C’s
are interdependent. The 3C’s cover almost all the guiding principles of sustainable
development and design for railway station structures.
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CHAPTER 7
Energy Management: The
Legitimate Need for Sustainable
Future
Contents:
7.1 Setting out the Context

7.2 Renewable Energy Scenario in India
7.3 Renewable Energy Scenario in the Indian Railways
7.4 Renewable Energy Options in Railway Stations
7.4.1 Piezoelectricity
7.4.2 Working of Piezoelectric Elements
7.4.3 Application of Piezoelectric Elements in Railway Stations
7.4.4 Solar Bricks
7.4.5 Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
7.5 Energy Vision and Policy for Raipur Railway Station
7.5.1 Provision of PV Panels in Raipur Railway Station: A Viable Solution
7.5.2 Calculations for PV Array
7.6 Epilogue
7.6.1 Demand for Clean Energy
7.6.2 Uncultivated Renewables in the Country
7.6.3 Advantages of Solar and Other Renewable Systems
7.7 Conclusions
References
Print Resources
• MNES (Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources), 2002 Annual
Report 2001-2002, New Delhi, MNES, Government of India
• Saxena Sharad, Renewable Energy Strategies for the Indian
Railways, An Individual Study Report
• Sinha Shirish et al Editors, 1998, From Sunlight to Electricity, Winrock
International – India, New Delhi & TERI, New Delhi.
• Sustainable Building Design Manual Volume 2, The Energy and
Web Resources
• http://chemlinks.beloit.edu
• http://energybusinessdaily.com
• http://www.howstuffworks.com
• http://www.pinktentacle.com
• www.checkbiotech.com
• www.fujielectric.com/company/tech/pdf/r49-2/05.pdf(Application of
Solar Cell Integrated Roofing Material at Railway Stations, a paper by
Kaname Senda and Yoshirow Makino)
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Chapter 7: ENERGY MANAGEMENT: THE LEGITIMATE NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
7.1 Setting out the Context

Energy has, is and probably will always be a core issue for mankind…an issue that
continues to threaten the very survival of the human race. Buildings include residential,
commercial, institutional, and federal structures. Energy efficiency and renewable energy in
Figure7.1 Ratio of embodied energy to operational energy consumed in buildings

(Source : Sustainable Building Design manual, Volume – 2,
Published by The Energy and Resource Institute New-Delhi, India)
buildings encompass building design, building materials, heating, cooling, lighting, and
appliances. On a much smaller scale, constructing a shelter (building) – which is one of the
prime necessities of man, requires energy as capital investment (embodied energy), as well
as energy in terms of recurring investment (operational energy) to keep it functioning.
Hence, it is in this light that the concept of Green or Sustainable buildings assumes
importance and it deals with both the forms of energy but the recurrent aspect is more
important than one time consumption.
In order to meet the ever increasing energy demands R&D activities in the field of renewable
power technologies need to be included in the mainstream. The integration of renewable
energy technologies into the main grid will support the mainstream renewable power sources
that are presently dispersed. Consequently, the problem of power shortage can be
effectively addressed in the country.
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7.2 Renewable Energy Scenario in India
Long term potential actions for sustainable development are needed to achieve solutions to
environmental problems that we face today. The global slowdown that was experienced a
couple of years ago could be a tempting excuse for most to put ecological concerns on the
furlough but understanding the fierce urgency for economically sound, socially equitable and
environmentally responsible progress, our country is moving purposefully towards
sustainable development. For developing countries like India the global slowdown is an
avenue for replacing archaic infrastructure and upgrading transportation, communication,
water and energy systems in a sustainable manner.
At a time when renewables comprise just 11.5% of energy sources in U.S., India stands tall
with renewable accounting for 32% of total electricity generation capacity. Even China and
Japan trail behind India at 21% and 20% respectively (Source: Newsletter of Check Biotech, under the title
“India's Renewable Energy Sector and Green Energy Index unaffected by global economic slowdown” on Monday, January 19,
2009). According to a report released by ‘Greenpeace’ on march 24, 2009 in New- Delhi,
renewable energy can successfully meet over 35% of power demand in India by 2030 (Source:
market Research Report by RNCOS Industry Research Solutions on April 9, 2009).
7.3 Renewable Energy Scenario in the Indian Railways
Indian Railways being one of the largest railway establishments in the world is one of the
major HT consumers of electricity, with a utilization of around 1.7% of the country’s total
electricity consumption(source: climatechange.in@undp.org, a project report on Making India Energy Efficient) .
Hence it is imperative that this sector conserves national (conventional) power by adopting
energy efficient methods and using new technologies for power generation.
The norms for electrification of a railway station state that at least two trains should arrive
during the night hours at that station and the power grid should be available within a range of
one kilometer from the station. Due to this, various maintenance units and railway stations in
far flung remote areas are often starved of their energy requirements. Presently the
emphasis is on the use of non conventional energy sources in electrification of railway
stations, especially where local power is not available. Indian railways have also started
progressively utilizing nonconventional wind energy for electrification of stations, signaling
and telecommunication equipments. For a long time, large organizations like the railways
only cared for their bottom lines and environmental issues were hence callously
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discouraged. Railways have now started realizing that following environment friendly
practices would also result in significant benefits and in the long run their bottom lines would
be safeguarded as well.
Power Sector News: Power cuts in Maharashtra forces Indian Railways to go Solar
WEDNESDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2008 05:45 NEWS
Railways started using solar panels for LED signals at some of the level crossing gates and
for lighting cabins and approach roads near gates in the Pune-Lonavla section
A frequent and long hour of power shortages faced by some railway stations
has forced the railways to turn towards solar energy. The Pune division of
the Central Railways has identified a total of 14 stations where solar power
would be used for illuminating platforms and booking offices. The railway
authorities said that all the stations are in the Pune-Kolhapur section. A
senior railway official said that these stations face 12 to 14 hours of power
cuts. And as a result, the passengers and railway staff face a lot of
inconvenience. "But with the use of solar energy, the platforms will get
adequate lighting. Similarly, the work of booking tickets too will go on smoothly,'' the official said.The railways will
also use solar panels for providing LED-based signals and lighting at level crossings between Ghorpadi and Miraj
stations.It have already started using solar panels for LED signals at some of the level crossing gates and for
lighting cabins and approach roads near gates in the Pune-Lonavla section."The use of solar energy at level
crossing gates has been successful. Now, we use it for illuminating railway stations,'' the official said. The work is
expected to start next month and would take at least three months to complete.
Box 7.1 – E News from Power sector regarding Application in solar panels in railways,
Wednesday 17 December, 2008
7.4 Renewable Energy Options in Railway Stations
When energy is generated the resource is not depleted or used up. Such resources are
naturally replenished, and can either be managed so that they last forever. Unlike fossil
fuels, most renewable energy sources do not release carbon dioxide and other air pollutants
as bi-products into the atmosphere. As the amount of fossil fuel resources on earth
decreases, it is imperative that we find and utilize alternative fuels.
Examples of renewable resources include:

• Wind Power
• Solar Power
• Hydro Electric Power
• Bio Fuel
• Geothermal Energy
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• Tidal Power
• Wave Energy, and
• Piezoelectricity
Of these, solar energy can be used directly for heating &

lighting, generating electricity, water heating, solar
cooking, and variety of commercial and industrial
applications. On the other hand, piezoelectric elements
whose working principle is well known from 19th century
can be used only as a source of supplementary power at
places where huge crowd is expected at a time. There is
also a scope of exploiting wind pressure generated by
trains as they are approaching, leaving or most
preferably when a train is crossing with great speed
without halting in the station. The wind pressure
developed along the length of either sides of moving train
may be utilized for generating turbine based electricity or
even pressure based energy, but unfortunately due to
lack of promotion to R&D activities the system could not
be accessed thoroughly. Thus looking at all the
possibilities of exploiting alternate resources of energy
generation at places like railway stations, it is observed
that piezoelectric generators and solar energy
harnessing systems would be most appropriate to install.
Indian Railways (IR) is one of the largest railroad

systems in the world. To handle its vast freight and
passenger traffic, it operates as many as 4000 diesel
powered and an equal number of electric locomotives.
These locomotives consume 2000 million liters of diesel Box 7. 2 – News from The Hitvada
& 9000 million units of electricity annually. (Nagpur edition) regarding crowd
farms with piezoelectric cells
The table below shows the breakup of energy used by the Indian railways in 2 consecutive
years – for traction and non-traction purposes.
Traction- The energy used for propulsion i.e. movement of trains, and
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Non-Traction- The energy for stationary applications viz. Production Units, Workshops,
Stations and other maintenance centers
Fuel Type Traction Non- traction

Electricity (million KWH) 9,013 2,361
Diesel (million liters) 2,007 33
Table7.1 – Table showing consumption of electricity and diesel for traction as well as
non- traction use in railways for two consecutive years.
(Source: Study report on Individual Energy Strategies for Indian Railways, by Sharad Saxena, Director RDSO)
In this respect IR is probably the single largest consumer of diesel and electricity in the
country and thus its energy policy has a significant impact on the energy scenario of the
nation.
Indian Railway being one of the largest railway systems in the world, consumes a huge
amount of electricity, both for traction (energy used for propulsion i.e. movement of
trains) as well as for non traction (energy for stationary applications viz. production &
maintenance units and station buildings) use. For the purpose of traction (running of
trains on the track) a separate 25kv/33kv substation is required which needs a consistent
uninterrupted supply through a reliable source of power, therefore the power required for
traction may not be supplemented with nonconventional sources. Though experiments are
going on about running the trains with solar panels installed at the top of bogies ( self
propelled units) but that is only possible with short distance trains with less number of rakes
to them .However the power generated through Solar photovoltaic and that of piezo
elements may supplement the load for non traction use (station auxiliaries) i.e. general
lighting, fans, displays, etc.
7.4.1 Piezoelectricity: In 2001 two MIT students proposed the idea of installing
piezoelectric flooring in urban areas. Dubbed ‘crowd farming’ the idea was to install a
flooring system that would take the advantage of piezoelectric principles by harvesting power
from footsteps in crowded places such as train stations, malls, concert halls etc. where large
groups of people move. The key is the crowd – one footstep can provide enough electricity
to light two 60 W bulbs for one second. Therefore, the greater the number of people walking
across the piezoelectric floor the greater would be the amount of power produced and this is
not beyond the realm of possibility – approximately 28500 footsteps generate energy to
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power a train for one second. Imagine what the combined power of commuters’ footsteps
during rush hour could do – it has the potential to pull us out of the global energy crisis.
Figure7.2 – Electrical energy produced from mechanical pressure in piezo elements
7.4.2 Working of Piezoelectric Elements:

Piezoelectricity is electrical energy produced from
mechanical pressure (including motions such as walking)
when pressure is applied to an object negative charge is
produced on the expanded side and positive charge is
produced on the compressed side. Once the pressure is
relieved, electrical current flows across the material.
The diagram on the extreme left (in figure 7.2) shows

superimposed centers of positive and negative charge,
represented by two small dots in the middle of the array
of ionic charges. When the crystal is compressed the
Figure7.3 – Separation of
centers of positive and negative charges are displaced charge in individual atoms by
from one another creating an electric potential. pressure
Any spatially separated charge will result in an electric field, and therefore an electric
potential. Shown here is a standard dielectric in a capacitor. In a piezoelectric device,
mechanical stress is the cause for the charge separation in the individual atoms of the
material, rather than an externally applied voltage.
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7.4.3 Application of Piezoelectric

Elements in Railway Stations: The ticket
entrance gate electricity generation system at
railway stations relies on a series of such piezo
elements embedded in the floor under ticket
gates. When combined with high efficiency
storage systems, the ticket entrance gate
generators can serve as a clean source of
supplementary power for railway stations. In
early 2008 JR East (The Japan Railway
Company) started experimenting with such
system in the railway station at Tokyo, where
Human Powered Energy in ticket gates rely on series of piezo elements embedded in the
floor under ticket gates which generate electricity from the pressure they sense as people
step on them.
Figure 7.5 – Provision of piezoelectric floor along the safety edge of platforms
Busy stations with large number of passengers willing to bounce heavily through gates will
be able to accumulate relatively large amount of electricity. Secondly, thought could also be
given to placing these systems along to the platform’s edge where a larger number of
‘bouncing’ footfalls are generated from the people jumping on and off the trains. Imagine the
long lengths that could generate such supplementary power…whenever a train reaches a
platform (the generation could be to the tune of 10 watt/sec of power per passenger)! Thus,
this type of alternative source of energy can be fruitful in an intermediate station like Raipur
where per day passenger movement is quite sizeable (around 90,000 passengers per day in
peak duration) especially in the view of over a hundred trains passing through it daily. In
addition to being put to use as an independent power supply that does not require hard
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wiring, this system can also be used as a way of measuring the traffic flow through ticket /
entrance gates.
The side wall of the platform base may be provided with a series of metal strips like flaps. A
piezo-electric element that is attached to a thin metal strip will generate a voltage as it flaps
back and forth due to wind pressure developed during arrival and crossing of trains. The
stronger the wind, the higher the "flap" frequency, and therefore the larger the voltage
generated. Thought could also be given to installing such systems below railway tracks
where the movement of the trains could generate power to move those trains themselves –
somewhat similar to the regenerative braking system being employed in the Delhi Metro.
The high cost could be offset by selling carbon credits!
7.4.4 Solar Bricks: Technological boom has unveiled a

new line of self-illuminating bricks that contain solar
powered LCD’s. These, powered by the sunshine, can be
used in construction of pathways & parking areas. These
bricks as they do not require any wiring to be done can be
easily installed along the kerbs of parking lots (figure7.8)
where direct impact on the bricks is comparatively less.
However as it is seen in the figure 7.6 & 7.7 the some
solar bricks with specific specification are also good at
resisting thrust imposed by vehicles such bricks can be
directly placed on parking bays and pathways in the
Figure 7.6 – Solar bricks for
railway station premises. As the source of light by parking lots and pathways of
installing such bricks on floor is close to the surface, the station premises.
roads and raised pedestrian strips will be highlighted and
will be clearly distinguishable. One of the limitations is
with the constant exposure of these bricks to sun
therefore the orientation of such bricks forming the strips
(kerbs) will have to be kept in mind. Regular and frequent
cleaning of surfaces is must for proper charging as well
as for getting proper light out of these bricks. The cost of
per brick which starts with Rs.200 and increases with the
wattage of LED lights installed in it, is the major cause for
Figure 7.7 – Various shapes of
solar bricks with options for such products not been accepted so widely in public
colored led lights. buildings and government projects.
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Figure 7.8 – Proposal of redesigning of parking area at Raipur station with

solar bricks on kerb
. (Photographed in August 2011)
7.4.5 Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies: It is now an accepted fact that India has
tremendous potential for producing electricity by harnessing solar energy. This harnessing of
solar power is done by means of photovoltaic cells. A photovoltaic system is constructed by
assembling a number of individual collectors called modules, electrically and mechanically
into an array.
Basically there are two commercial PV module technologies available in the market today
viz.
1. Thick crystal products – these include solar cells made from crystalline silicon, either as
single or poly-crystalline wafers. They deliver about 110-130 watts per sqm of PV array
area (under full sun).
2. Thin-film products – these typically incorporate very thin layers of photovoltaically active
material placed on a glass superstrate or a metal substrate using vacuum-deposition
manufacturing techniques similar to those employed in the coating of architectural glass.
Presently, commercial thin-film materials deliver about 45-55 watts per sqm of PV array
area (under full sun).
More as a corollary of the availability of the modules, the PV systems are also designed in
two different ways:
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1. Applied Photovoltaic System – wherein the systems are fixed or mounted onto the
building envelope…mainly the roof.
2. Building Integrated Photovoltaic System – wherein the systems are integrated into the
building envelope. The PV modules serve the dual function of building skin – replacing
the conventional building envelope materials, and power generator.
Since PV technology is still in its nascent state in our country, we are, as yet, predominantly
using the first variety i.e. applied photovoltaic system.
7.5 Energy Vision and Policy for Raipur Railway Station
In India there are three types of stations viz. Intermediate, Interchange and Terminal
Stations. The intermediate stations serve only one line comprising two tracks (one in each
direction); the interchange stations are those where two or more lines converge, ideally at a
single station, enabling the passengers to change the train; while terminal stations are
situated at the end of a line.
Out of these three stations, interchange stations are designed for both, streets as well as
interchange passengers. Hence, such stations, because of their greater infrastructure and
more facilities, are spread over a comparatively larger area. Thus for the purpose of
computing the demand and calculating the amount of electricity which could be generated
through non-conventional means, any interchange station would therefore be ideal for a
case study.
Apart from booming capital city of the state of Chattisgarh, Raipur and adjoining places have
got great potential for tourism also. This city attracts a number of people due to several
reasons viz. employment, political work, business, trading and tourism etc. Therefore this
interchange station has huge number of passenger as well as freight traffic by an average
sale of 7000 tickets per day; this figure goes up to around 55600 ticket sale per day in peak
periods (vacations and festive seasons). The huge crowd of visitors as many as 25000
people per day in peak periods further contributes in increasing footfalls in the station
premises. As it is obvious that a place where the average footfall is sizable and increasing
day by day, the need for infrastructure will also increase at the same proportion which will
ultimately put more pressure on energy usage.
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The SECR is the most techno savvy and developed railway zone. Although at some places,
this zone witness application of solar panels for signaling & telecommunications, parking
lights, water heating etc., there is still a need to set up guidelines regarding application of
solar panels for lighting, heating, pumping etc in the station building and implement the same
on a broader scale.
7.5.1 Provision of PV Panels in Raipur Railway Station: A Viable Solution: The Raipur
station premises are spread over an area of 40,000 sqm. (4.0 Hectares) – admeasuring
approximately 800 m x 500 m. The major areas of the station like the platform shelters, roof
of station building etc., where solar panels can be installed, are shown below with the help of
a plan of Raipur station.
It is apparent from the plan below, that the station building in the middle, divides the entire
site into front unpaid areas viz. parking and landscaped areas and the platforms placed on
the other side, that come under paid concourse.
An intermediate station like Raipur consumes as much as 1.77 lac units of electrical energy
every month, which works out to a daily consumption of approximately 5900 units (according to
the records acquired from railway authorities, in the year 2009). (This includes air-conditioners in the station
building, lights and fans therein as well as on the platforms, the lights for displays, etc.) Now
if we go in for an applied photovoltaic system for the station we have ample area – especially
the roof of the station building and the platform shelters, on which the panels can be
mounted – these areas are otherwise unutilized.
The following are the roof areas considered for mounting the PV system:
1. Station building: 300 m x 12 m( approx) = 3600 sqm
2. Platform nos. 1 & 4: 550 m x 10 m = 5500 sqm
3. Platform nos. 2 & 3: 525 m x 8.5 m = 4463 sqm
4. Platform nos. 5 & 6: 540 m x 8 m = 4320 sqm
The PV panels have to be oriented facing the South or

South-West and also have to be elevated at an angle
which is related to the latitude of the place (latitude + 10º).
For Raipur, which is located on 21º10” N latitude; this
angle should be about 31º facing the South. In the case of
Table7.2 – Recommended tilt
of PV panels at various places Raipur the platform shelters can be suitably modified to
112
incorporate the PV panels, since the platforms are running in the required direction.
However, in case of stations which do not face the necessary direction the mounting can be
adjusted as per requirement with a nominal increase in cost.
Figure 7.9 – Schematic plan of Raipur railway station identifying the rooftop areas for
locating PV panels
113
Figure 7.10 – Proposed schematic section of platform shelter for platform no. 5 & 6
showing mounting of PV arrays over it.
Figure 7.11 – Schematic Section of platform Shelter for Platform Number 1 & 4
showing mounting of PV arrays
Since platform number 2 & 3 share a common base of 8.5 m wide, the Size and profile of
platform shelter for these two platforms will be almost same like that of platform number 5 &
6 for which the base width is 8 m. The arrangement of pv panels on this platform will be
same except for the little change in length that is 525 m in all.
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The sketches above(figure7.10&7.11) show the schematic section of the existing platforms
(Platform nos. 1 & 4 and 5 & 6) with the proposed modifications in platform shelters for
accommodating PV panels on same, in order to mount the PV panels. The panels can be
mounted on a couple of south facing slopes of the butterfly roof shelter of.
7.5.2 Calculations for PV Array: Size of PV Panel considered: 0.55 m x 1.30 m (74 W)
1. Station building: (300 m x 12 m) = 3600 sqm
The longer axis is almost parallel to East-West direction. Hence the width of the
building can be effectively utilized for mounting 5 rows of PV panels (which is
including the clearance in between the rows for the purpose of installation and
maintenance operations). Thus in the length of 300 m, about 400 panels can be
mounted in one row. Thus a total of 2000 panels can be mounted on the roof of the
station building.
2. Platform nos. 1 & 4, Bay platform: (550 m x 10 m) = 5500 sqm
As shown in the proposed section above, 3 rows can be mounted on the slope
forming the valley while 3 rows on the wing of the roof. Thus, in the length of 550 m,
about 730 panels can be mounted in one row, giving a total of 4380 panels on the
roof of platform nos. 1 & 4.
3 Platform nos. 2 & 3, Island Platform: (525 m x 8.5 m) = 4463 sqm
Similar to the above, but since the width is smaller, only 2 rows can be mounted on
approximately 2.7 m wide sloping side of roof. Since there are two number of sloping
sides facing south, the total number of panels for this particular shelter would be
around 2800 @ 700 panels in a row for a length of 525 m.
4. Platform nos. 5 & 6, Island Platform: (540 m x 8 m) = 4320 sqm
On the same lines for a length of 540 m, about 720 panels can be mounted in one
row. There are two number of sloping sides(2.6m wide approximately) facing south,
thus if a single slope accommodates two rows of 1.3m long panels, it gives a figure
of around 2880 panels to be mounted on the roof of platform nos. 5 & 6.
Now let us consider the power output of the above panels:

1. Station building: 2000 panels
2. Platform nos. 1 & 4: 4380 panels
Total: 12060 panels
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Say 12,000 panels of 74 W each = 8, 88,000 watts/hour. Considering that the generation
would be at 80% efficiency, the actual electrical output would be about 7.11 lac watts/hour
i.e. 700 units/hour. This amount of generation would vary from season to season – from
about 9 hours in winter to more than 10 hours in summer.
Assuming the minimum duration of 9 hours the total amount of electricity harnessed would
work out to: 700 x 9 = 6300 units/day. This is more than sufficient to cater to the current
demand of Raipur station (5900 units/day). The demand could be reduced further by
replacing the present lighting fixtures with energy efficient ones like LEDs.
But there are certain drawbacks which would have to be overcome and these are as follows:
1. There would be a drop in generation on cloudy days which will have to be
supplemented with normal electrical back-up but with solar priority.
2. Space would be required for batteries (a lot of them) for storing the generated power.
This could be on each platform, located below the staircases / ramps.
3. The glazed surface of the panels needs to be cleaned or the settled dust would
reduce their efficiency. To ease this maintenance aspect a system of mechanical
(solar powered) wipers could be provided on the panels themselves.
4. Lastly the initial cost of the panels would prove to be a major deterrent. The 74 W
panel costs somewhere in the range of Rs. 12,000 – 14,000 each. Thus the cost of
the panels only, would work out to Rs. 13.5 – 16 crores. Add to this the cost of the
batteries, wiring, etc. and the project cost would be in excess of Rs. 25 crores. But in
the long run this cost would be offset by savings in normal electrical bills and even by
selling carbon credits for using a clean energy system and contributing to reducing
carbon emissions.
7.6 Epilogue
7.6.1 Demand for Clean Energy: There is a fundamental attractiveness about harnessing
such forces in an age which is very conscious of the environmental effects of burning fossil
fuels and sustainability is an ethical norm; therefore today the focus is on both adequacy of
energy supply for long-term and also the environmental implications of particular sources. In
that regard the near certainty of costs being imposed on carbon dioxide emissions in
developed countries at least has profoundly changed the economic outlook of clean energy
sources.
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A market-determined carbon price will create incentives for energy sources that are cleaner
than current fossil fuel sources without distinguishing among different technologies. This
puts the onus on the generating utility to employ technologies which efficiently supply power
to the consumer at a competitive price.
7.6.2 Uncultivated Renewables in the Country: Sun, wind, waves, rivers, tides and the
heat from radioactive decay in the earth's mantle as well as biomass are all abundant and
ongoing, hence the term "renewables". Only one, the power of falling water in rivers, has
been significantly tapped for electricity for many years, though utilization of wind is
increasing rapidly and it is now acknowledged as a mainstream energy source. The best
sites for harnessing wind are sometimes remote from population, and the main back-up for
lack of wind in one place is wind blowing hard in another, hence requiring a wide network
with flexible operation. Solar energy's main human application has been in agriculture and
forestry, via photosynthesis, and increasingly it is harnessed for heat. Electricity remains a
niche application for solar. Biomass viz. sugar cane residue is burned where it can be
utilized effectively. The others are little used as yet.
Turning to the use of abundant renewable energy sources other than large-scale hydro for
electricity, there are challenges in actually harnessing them. Apart from solar photovoltaic
(PV) systems which produce electricity directly, the question is how to make them turn
dynamos to generate the electricity. If it is heat which is harnessed, this is via a steam
generating system. Most electricity demand is for continuous, reliable supply that has
traditionally been provided by base-load electricity generation. Some is for shorter-term viz.
peak-load requirements on a broadly predictable basis. Hence if renewable sources are
linked to a grid, the question of back-up capacity arises, for stand-alone system energy
storage is the main issue. Apart from pumped-storage hydro systems, no such means exist
at present, at least on any large scale.
7.6.3 Advantages of Solar and Other Renewable Systems: However, a distinct

advantage of solar and to some extent other renewable systems is that they are distributed
and may be near the points of demand, thereby reducing power transmission losses if
traditional generating plants are distant. Of course, this same feature sometimes counts
against wind. There is unprecedented interest in renewable energy, particularly solar
and wind energy, which provide electricity without giving rise to any carbon dioxide
emission.
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7.7 Conclusions
Based on the understanding of renewable (non

conventional) energy options available in India it
is possible to draw several guidelines for Indian
railways. While some of the techniques like the
use of piezo elements in ticket gates may take
some more time to be replicated, use of SPV cells
for lighting can easily be implemented in various
stations. Generally speaking IR’s strategic energy
planning itself has been very weak. There is no
overall energy plan that fits in with the broad
objectives of the railways. The most important
lesson which can be learnt as a vital element for
future planning is to understand that energy
planning has a significant impact on the
attainment of the socio-economic as well as
environmental objectives of the railways.
It is quite clear that as energy needs increase,

railways may have to compete with other priority
sectors for the limited resources. Hence evolving
its own supporting energy system comprising of
renewable energy sources may indeed be the
Box 7.3 – News clipping from Dainik
most important strategic decision for the railways. Baskar (Raipur – Hindi edition)
regarding energy crisis in Raipur station
118
CHAPTER 8
Water Management in Railway
Stations
Contents:
8.1 Prologue
8.2 Water Management
8.2.1 Legitimate Need of Rainwater Harvesting through Buildings
8.2.2 Need of Rainwater Harvesting in Railway Stations
8.3 Rainwater Harvesting in Railway Station Premises: A Holistic Approach
8.3.1 Components of Water Harvesting System
8.3.2 Design Considerations for Harvesting Rain Water
8.3.3 Rain Water Harvesting Potential
8.4 Rainwater Harvesting in Railway Station Premises at Raipur
8.4.1 Rainwater Harvesting Potential of Raipur Railway Station
8.4.2 Calculations of RWH Potential for Recharge
8.4.3 Recharging of Waste and Storm Water along Washable Aprons – A
Genuine Requirement
8.4.4 Calculations of RWH Potential for storage and reuse
8.5 Conclusions
References:
Print Resources
• A Water Harvesting Manual for Urban Areas, issued by the Centre for
Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2003
• Indian Railway Works Manual 2000
• Rainwater Harvesting, a Publication of Indian Railways Institute of
Civil Engineering, Pune; August 2006
• Rainwater Harvesting and Water Management, proceedings of the
22nd National Convention of Environmental Engineering and National
Seminar organized at Nagpur; November 2006
Web resources
• http://www.hindu.com/pda(DMRC strives to tap rainwater, article in
The Hindu; April 03, 2008)
• www.aboutrainwaterharvesting.com
• www.greenbiz.com
• www.indianrailways.gov.in/land/default.htm
• www.rainwaterharvesting.org
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Chapter 8: WATER MANAGEMENT IN RAILWAY STATIONS
8.1 Prologue
It is strongly believed that if ever there is a Third World War, it will be over water. Our
country has already begun to witness the phenomenon of people having to buy drinking
water and mobs rioting over water supply or rather the absence of water supply. This is
extremely disgraceful in a country whose present generation can boast of forefathers who
had perfected the art of water management.
Water, it’s been said, is the "oil of the 21st century" -- a commodity whose availability and
quality may be subject to both known and unknown influences. For companies, that poses
significant risks, and many companies are making water a strategic issue, creating water
management plans that include efficiency and conservation as well as contingency plans
should water become less available or more costly. Many firms are examining their products,
policies, and processes through the lens of a world in which the availability of water
becomes a constraint.
8.2 Water Management
Since water is a finite resource and can neither be replaced nor duplicated nor produced on
a commercial scale, it is now high time to pay attention towards availability of resources of
water with the ratio of consumption of same. The current figures appearing regarding
available resources of water are alarming us to implement the policies that are made since a
long time towards reduction of wastage of water and effective utilization of abundantly
available rain water for various purposes. Water management is all about conservation of
water by means of four major connotations as mentioned below:
Water
Management
Reduction at Rain Water

Reuse Recycle
Source Harvesting
Table 8.1 – The four major connotations for water management in buildings
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Reduction at Source: Economical and optimal use of water including prevention of wastage
and leakage of water is the very first step taken toward water conservation. In urban water
supply as much as 30-40% of municipal water is wasted through distribution. In industries
also economic use of water is not the prime concern.
Reuse and Recycle: The fresh water ones used gets converted in to Gray (waste water
from kitchens, bathing space and washing areas) and Black (foul water from urinals and
water closets) water. Out of these two types of waste water the major part of gray water may
be reused for the purpose of gardening, washing etc while the black water may be
appropriately treated and then soaked in ground.
Rainwater Harvesting: Rain Water harvesting is the process of direct collection of
rainwater for some use or utilizing the rainwater for recharging the ground water aquifers by
various methods in order to prevent the depletion of ground water table. The water thus
obtained from rain is referred as Green water because the rain water is usually softer than
treated municipal water and may be made fit for even drinking after some purification
process.
8.2.1 Legitimate Need of Rainwater Harvesting through Buildings: Ground water is

the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet. It contributes immensely, both to India’s
development and to its economy. It meets 85% of drinking water needs of rural India; it also
sustains 60% of irrigated agriculture and plays an important role in social equity and poverty
reduction.
The phenomenon of human induced ground water extraction due to excessive
development has led to a decline in the ground water table thereby resulting in water scarcity
in several areas. There are a lot of impacts associated with falling water levels viz. sea water
intrusion, land subsidence, depletion of surface water, high pumping cost etc.; so ground
water reservoirs should be managed in such a way that the recharge is kept in pace with the
withdrawals, through the artificial recharge of rainwater. Hence recharging and reusing of
rainwater in all building types is a solution to improve ground water table in order to maintain
sustainable water resources. Rainwater harvesting thus becomes one of the key concerns
for protection and enhancement of environment in the building industry.
Working towards this end, the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in India, has
made rainwater harvesting mandatory in all new buildings with roof top areas above 100
sqm. and all plots with areas in excess of 1000 sqm.
121
8.2.2 Need of Rainwater Harvesting in Railway Stations: While considering

environmental issues in building industry, railway stations should undisputedly be considered
as one of the major building types where resource planning & conservation policies must be
implemented strictly because railway stations are the bulk consumer of all the three major
resources i.e. Energy, Material and Water.
Railway stations are places where tremendous amount of water is consumed every day,
right from track washing, coach cleaning, filling water in the trains, flushing and bathing
purposes in general toilets, to potable water provisions on platforms and in retiring rooms,
etc. There is a sheer wastage of gallons of water due to lack of civic sense and improper
management in railway station premises, which is clearly unaccounted for.
The Central Ground Water

Board has prepared a conceptual
report entitled “Master Plan for
Recharge to Ground in India”
highlighting areas suitable for water
recharge, but it is really unfortunate
that railway establishments, which
provide not only large catchment
areas but also many avenues for
water reuse, are not considered in
this master plan.
Indian Railways – the second

largest railway system in the world
has a wide spread network of
station buildings, platforms and
tracks which together provide
tremendous scope for harvesting
rainwater. Moreover it is quite
evident that the stations which are
located in regions with scanty
rainfall often face sever water
scarcity problems in dry seasons.
Box 8.1 – News extract from Dainik Bhaskar (Raipur
Even the busiest railway stations of – Hindi edition) regarding water scarcity in railway
stations during peak summers
122
the country also are not able to cope up with the increased demand of water during peak
periods (summer vacations and festive seasons). All the above issues very well justify the
ardent need of water conservation in railway stations where particularly the scope of
rainwater harvesting may prove very effective as the various options of recharging and
collection of rain water may easily be implemented even in the existing stations with little
modifications.
8.3 Rainwater Harvesting in Railway Station Premises: A Holistic Approach
The entire process of water harvesting in railway stations gives rise to the following three
questions –
1. From where do we harvest rainwater?

2. For what purpose do we need to harvest?
3. How do we harvest?
The answers to these questions include identification of –
• Catchment areas
• Water recharging and collection provisions
• Harvesting systems and storage provisions
Catchment areas:
The surfaces that directly receive rainfall and provide water for the system can be the roof
tops and the open ground surfaces. The amount and quality of rainwater collected depends
upon the area of catchment, intensity of rainfall and surface quality. The flat terraces, GI
sheets, AC sheets and slate tiled roof can collect reasonably pure water from the rooftops.
For the purpose of water harvesting the catchments can be divided under following two
areas – open areas like paved and tarred parking areas, landscaped areas, long stretched
tracks, etc. and covered areas like platform shelters, station administrative building, station
accommodation, etc. The former accounts for 70 per cent of the total site area while the
latter makes up the remaining 30 per cent. Railway Station premises thus provide large
catchment areas for harvesting.
123
Water recharging and collection provisions:

Water recharging and collection provisions are numerous and each has by now been well
established in its respective field of rainwater harvesting vis-à-vis the construction industry.
As mentioned earlier one of the core issues here is urban water supply. The ground water
based water supply is the most dependable and supplements the water need in most of the
regions. The recharge area is shrinking day-by-day due to the uncontrolled sprouting of
construction activities, asphalting, cementing of surfaces, etc.
In railway stations the paved areas for parking and the unpaved concourse, landscaped
areas and widespread track areas in between the platforms are identified as catchments
from where collected water can be recharged to ground. As far as recharge from landscaped
or paved areas is concerned, the regular practice of recharging by means of recharge pit,
trench or shaft can be followed.
However the water collected from the tracks is not fit for direct recharging since it is not only
foul but also comprises of a lot of greasy contents due to frequent movement of locomotives
on the tracks. This water will therefore have to be suitably adapted before recharging.
Harvesting systems and storage provisions:

To date, the various harvesting systems and provisions for storing harvested water have all
been deliberated at great lengths and hence they need not be discussed here all over again.
Out of the total amount of water requirement in railway stations every day about a quarter is
used as potable water, the rest is all used mainly in toilets, for washing of tracks, cleaning of
trains and platforms, filling in trains(1800 Liters for a train containing 24 coaches)after proper
treatment and landscaping, etc. Thus a major amount of water that is consumed for the
purpose of cleaning, flushing and gardening can very well be tapped through roof tops and
platform shelters, stored and reused.
8.3.1 Components of Water Harvesting System: The rain water harvesting system
consists of the following basic components –
(a) Catchment area
(b) Coarse mesh / leaf screen
(c) Gutter
(d) Down spout or conduit
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(e) First flushing device

(f) Filter
(g) Storage tank
(h) Recharge structure
8.3.2 Design Considerations for Harvesting Rain Water: The amount of water
harvested depends on following three factors:
1. The frequency and intensity of rainfall

2. The catchment characteristics
3. Water demand
Based on the above mentioned factors the water harvesting potential may be calculated.
8.3.3 Rain Water Harvesting Potential: The total amount of water that is received in the
form of rainfall over an area is called the rain water endowment of that area. Out of this, the
amount that can be effectively harvested is called rain water harvesting potential.
Area of catchment x Amount of rainfall = rain water endowment
All the water which is falling over an area cannot be effectively harvested, due to various
losses on account of evaporation, spillage etc. Because of these factors the quantity of rain
water which can effectively be harvested is always less than the rain water endowment. The
collection efficiency is mainly dependent on factors like runoff coefficient and first flush
wastage etc.
Runoff is the term applied to the water that flows away from catchments after falling on its
surface in the form of rain. Runoff from a particular area is dependent on various factors i.e.
rainfall pattern and quantity, catchment area characteristics etc. For determining rainfall
quantity, the rainfall data preferably for a period of at least 10 years is required. This data
125
can be collected from meteorological department. For determining the pattern of rainfall, the
information may be collected either from meteorological department or locally. The pattern of
rainfall, in a particular cathcment area influences the design of rain water harvesting system.
In areas where rainfall is more but limited to very short period in a year, big storage tanks
would be required to store rain water, if we are collecting rain water in storage tanks for
direct use. In such areas, it is preferable to use rain water for recharging of ground water
aquifers, if feasible, to reduce the cost of rain water harvesting system.
Runoff depends upon the area and type of catchment over which it falls as well as surface
features. Runoff can be generated from both paved and unpaved catchment areas. Paved
surfaces have a greater capacity of retaining water on the surface and runoff from unpaved
surface is less in comparison to paved surface. In all calculations for runoff estimation, runoff
coefficient is used to account for losses due to spillage, leakage, infiltrations, catchment
surface wetting and evaporation, which will ultimately result into reduced runoff. Runoff
coefficient for any catchment is the ratio of the volume of water that runs off a surface to the
total volume of rainfall on the surface. The runoff coefficient for various surfaces is given in
the following table.
S.No. Type of catchment Runoff Coefficients
Roof catchments
0.8-0.9
1 Tiles
2 Corrugated Metal Sheets 0.7-0.9
Ground Surface Coverings
3 Concrete 0.6-0.8
4 Brick Pavement 0.5-0.6
Untreated Ground Surfaces
5 Soil on Slopes less than 10% 0.0-0.3
6 Rocky Natural Catchments 0.2-0.5
Table8.2 – A list of runoff coefficients for commonly used surfaces

(Source- Pacey, Amold and Cullis, Adrian 1989, Rainwater Harvesting: The collection of rainfall and runoff in rural areas,
Intermediate Technology Publications, London p 55.)
126
Based on the above factors, the water harvesting potential of site could be estimated using
the following equation:
Rain Water Harvesting Potential = Amount of Rainfall x Area of Catchment x

Runoff Coefficient
8.4 Rainwater Harvesting in Railway Station Premises at Raipur
Raipur being the interchange station and divisional headquarters of SECR Railway zone is
one of the busiest railway stations of central India. Interchange stations are designed for
both, street as well as interchange passengers, hence the greater infrastructure also needs
greater amount of water per day, such stations, because of their greater infrastructure and
more facilities are spread over a comparatively larger area. Thus for the purpose of
calculating the amount of harvested water and computing the demand for reuse, any
interchange station would therefore be ideal for a case study.
The station premises are spread over an area of 40,0000 sqm. (4.0 Hectares), admeasuring
approximately 800 m x 500 m. As seen in the plan of the station there is huge parking area
which is paved, the station building is aligned with the E-W track orientation, total 6 number
of platforms together with the sunken track areas in between share three shelters in
common. These are the major portions considered for the purpose of harvesting rain water.
As seen below, in the schematic plan of station, in between the tracks the red line with the
arrows indicate the slope of open drains to collect all the waste water from aprons. From the
centre of the length of tracks the drains slope on either sides which is finally collected in
inspection chambers provided at the ends. As it was observed the entire system of collection
of waste water and storm water from the washable aprons of the tracks, is a failure for the
following reasons:
• The slope given to the drains is not practically working for the length as much as 450m to
600m.
• The major problem of accumulation of waste (disposable containers for solid and liquid
food stuff) thrown by passengers is to be combated.
• The waste gets accumulated mainly because the drains are open.
127
Figure8.1 – Schematic plan of Raipur railway station showing Inspection

chambers, location of drains and section of drain
128
Due to the above mentioned reasons the drains remain choked and filled with stale water
and the situation is further aggravated in the rainy season. It is thus apparent that more than
the need for harvesting rain water from the tracks the removal of waste water from the drains
to keep them clean and dry for the hygiene of station areas holds gravity here in this context.
8.4.1 Rainwater Harvesting Potential of Raipur Railway Station: The total amount of
water that is received in the form of rainfall (the average annual rainfall for the city of Raipur
is 1288.8mm or 1.2m) over an area is called the rainwater endowment of that area (i.e.
Catchment area x Amount of rainfall). All the water that falls over an area cannot be
effectively harvested due to various losses on account of spillage, leakage, infiltration,
evaporation, etc. Due to these factors quantity of rainwater that can be harvested is always
less than the rainwater endowment. Thus, the amount that can be effectively harvested is
called rainwater harvesting potential. The collection efficiency mainly depends on factors like
runoff coefficient, first flush wastage, etc. Based on these factors water harvesting potential
of the site can be estimated using the following equation:
Rainwater harvesting potential = Amount of rainfall x Area of catchment x Runoff

Coefficient
Figure8.2 – The surfaces identified for the purpose of calculating rainwater harvesting
potential in railway stations
129
Of these five surfaces, the rainwater runoff from the paved areas (parking spaces), soft soil
(landscaped areas) and that of rough concrete surface (washable aprons of track where
trains stop along the platform) may be used for recharging the ground water since the
quality of water from these surfaces are not good enough for harvesting and reuse. A lot of
financial burden will have to be borne if the same water has to be made fit for reuse. The
water runoff from the roof tops of platforms, foot over bridges and station building, may be
harvested and reused (after releasing the first flush). Therefore for the purpose of calculating
harvesting potential the various surfaces identified above may be categorized in to two broad
ways of harvesting rain water:
• For the Purpose of Recharging in to ground (Ground Water Recharging)

• For the Purpose of Collection and Reuse (Reuse of Green Water)
8.4.2 Calculations of RWH Potential for Recharge:

1. Paved surface (Parking areas)
a. V.I.P. Parking area – 55.0 m x 35.0 m = 1925.0 sqm.
b. Car Parking area – 105.0 m x 65.0 m = 6825.0 sqm.
c. 2/3 Wheeler Parking – 115.0 m x 90.0 m = 10350.0 sqm.
Total parking area (approximately) = 19100.0 sqm

.
RWH potential = Amt. of rainfall x Area of catchment x Runoff Coefficient
= 1.20 m x 19100 sqm x 0.6
= 13752 cum. = 13.75 x 106 litres
2. Soft soil (Landscaped areas)

a. Next to the main entrance of station building --
40.0 m x 25.0 m = 1000.0 sqm.
Total landscaped area (approximately) = 1000.0 sqm.

= 1.20 m x 1000 sqm x 0.1
= 120 cum. = 0.12 x 106 litres
130
3. Concrete ( Area of Washable Aprons of Track)

a. Platform nos. 1 & 2 – 550.0 m x 9.5 m = 5225.0 sqm.
b. Platform nos. 3 & 5 – 550.0 m x 13.3 m = 7315.0 sqm.
c. Platform nos. 6 – 550.0 m x 8.0 m = 4400.0 sqm.
d. Platform nos. 4 – 200.0 m x 8.0 m = 1600.0 sqm.
Total track area (approximately) = 18540.0 sqm.

= 1.20 m x 18540 sqm x 0.8
= 17798 cum. = 17.80 x 106 liters
Thus adding 1, 2 & 3 above would give us the total amount of water available for recharge.
1. Paved surface (Parking areas) = 13.75 x 106 litres

2. Soft soil (Landscaped areas) = 00.12 x 106 litres
3. Concrete (Track areas) = 17.80 x 106 litres
Total = 31.67 x 106 litres
Thus the quantity of water as much as 30 x 106 liters (30 million liters) per year may be
effectively recharged in to ground. The runoff from the parking and the landscaped areas
can be recharged directly into the ground through nominal filtration processes.
However, as mentioned above, the water from the track areas (including the rain water as
well as the waste water from washing of aprons and other spillages) will have to be treated
to make it suitable for ground water recharge. The same can be achieved by means of
providing grease traps associated with primary and secondary filters, at strategic locations
before the actual recharge through a recharge shaft. Provision of recharge trenches and/or
pits would not be a feasible solution here since the water has to be taken deep down for the
ground to do its part of natural purification. Secondly the surface immediately below the
tracks should not come in constant contact with wet soil as it would be a potential hazard
resulting in the tracks settling unevenly.
131
Figure 8.3 –The broad gauge track with washable apron and the open drain with gray
water seen in the photograph of Raipur station (Photographed in August 2011)
8.4.3 Recharging of Waste and Storm Water along Washable Aprons – A Genuine
Requirement: More than the environmental reasons for recharging the waste water of
aprons, the removal of water from open drains along the tracks assumes better gravity here
in this context. As it is experienced that in most of the railway stations in the country the
open drains in between the tracks are always found in the worst condition, choked with
thrown out trash and that of clogged foul water (Figure 8.3). These conditions further lead to
foul smell and breeding of insects and mosquitoes. When the situation was investigated from
design point of view, the concerned people explained that the drains are provided with
proper slope to attain self cleansing velocity but since the drains are usually choked with
trash the water remains stagnant. The condition of these drains further turns worse and
worst in monsoon season.
A proposal that may prove effective to overcome this is having recharge shafts dug at certain
intervals along the drain and having the drains designed with slopes for relatively shorter
lengths rather than having a provision of collecting all the water of around 600 m long drain
at two extreme ends. Since the water contains human waste also it cannot be recharged in
to ground with simple ordinary filtration process. It may be thus required to allow this gray
water undergo the process of multiple and relatively slow rate of filtration before it is
recharged.
132
Figure 8.4 – Details of recharge structure proposed for gray/storm water collected
from open drains along the track.
The illustration above(figure8.4) shows the provision of recharge structure at every 50 m of

interval along the drain. The capacity of sedimentation (settlement) tank is designed to retain
run off from at least 15 minutes rainfall of peak intensity (derived from peak hourly rainfall of
the city). The slope of 1 in 200 which will give a level difference of 25cm between two ends
of 50 m long drain. The overflow water during peak time will flow in to the consecutive
segment of drain. The recharge structure may be cast in situ or even precast structure with
relatively light weight material like Ferro Cement etc. If the drains are kept covered with
grating the frequency of inlet of tank getting choked with solid waste etc. will be minimized,
still the regular cleaning and removal of accumulated waste matter cannot be avoided.
From the above calculations it is also abundantly clear that there is a tremendous potential
to harvest and recharge rainwater, which in turn would without doubt help in substantially
raising the ground water level. Although this may not sound very profitable it will definitely
help in places where there is a severe water scarcity and ground water table is extremely
low; and the best part is the fact that the railways have stations almost all over the country.
Thus the railways can play an active part in protecting the environment.
133
8.4.4 Calculations of RWH Potential for storage and reuse:
1. Profiled sheets (Platform shelters)

a. Platform nos. 1 & 4 – 550.0 m x 10.0 m = 5500.0 sqm.
b. Platform nos. 2 & 3 – 525.0 m x 8.5 m = 4462.5 sqm.
c. Platform nos. 5 & 6 – 540.0 m x 8.0 m = 4320.0 sqm.
Total platform shelter area (approximately) = 14282.5 sqm.

= 1.20 m x 14282.5 sqm x 0.9
= 15425.1 cum. = 15.42 x 106 litres
2. Concrete (Main station building)

a. Terrace slab area – 300.0 m x 12.0 m = 3600.0 sqm.
Total roof top area (approximately) = 3600.0 sqm.

= 1.20 m x 3600 sqm x 0.8
= 3456 cum. = 3.46 x 106 litres
Thus adding 1 & 2 above would give us the total amount of water available for storage
and reuse.
1. Profiled Sheets (Platform shelters) = 15.00x 106 litres
2. Concrete (Main station building) = 3.46 x 106 litres
Total = 18.46 x 106 litres
Thus approximately 18 x 106 litres (or 18 million litres) of water may be collected from roof
tops every year. Once again the calculations prove the efficacy of rainwater harvesting. The
amount of rainwater (excluding the first flush) available from the platform shelters can very
well be stored in storage tanks built under the platforms themselves. This would also
eliminate the need for filling in below the platforms in order to raise their levels above the
ground. Thus the volume below the platforms can now be profitably used. The only
precaution that needs to be taken is that the quality of water will have to be regularly
134
monitored and measures adopted to ensure that it does not become stale. This water can be
safely used for platform and track washing, flushing in the general toilets on the platforms
and rest rooms, landscaping, etc.
Figure 8.5 – Details of proposal of storm water collection and storage tank below
the platform slab
As shown in the figure 8.5 the platform

may be treated as cellular raft base
where plenty of rain water can be stored
in monsoons. The height of the platform
may be considered as 1.2 m at an
average, considering the high level
platform height from the track level as
840 mm (figure 8.7) the foundation base
may further go below this level thus
giving the height of 1.2 m in all.
Considering the thickness of slabs and
Figure 8.6 – Down spout from the eaves gutter
of platform shelter- it turns towards the central the scope for free board if the effective
steel stanchion to get obstruction free space height available for water storage is
along the boarding and alighting strip of
platform.(a photograph of Nagpur Station) taken as 800 mm, it will give the total
135
capacity of tank as (9.5m x 550m x

0.8m) 4180 cu.m. or 4180000 liters.
The quantity of water that can be
stored in platform no. 1(9.5 m x 550
m x 1.2 m) is thus 4.18 x 106 liters or
4 million liters. If this figure of storage
capacity of each platform (used as
tank) is compared with total quantity
of water collected from roof tops of
platforms and station building (18
million liters), it can be concluded that
all the platforms in the station can
easily be designed to store and share
Figure 8.7 – The standard detail of plinth of the 18 million liters of the collected rain
platform- with relevant dimensions to give an idea
about designing storm water storage tank instead of water from the roof tops of Raipur
filling the plinth station.
The rain water stored below the platforms may be used for washing of tracks by providing
ring main system of pipeline with pressure jets as shown in the figure 8.8. This provision may
prove as a water saving option over the conventional way of washing the aprons.
Figure 8.8 – A water conserving concept of washing the aprons with spray of water
through pressure jets
136
For deciding the appropriate diameter of rain water collection pipe in various places in
accordance with the respective average rate of rainfall, the following table extracted from
National Building Code of India 2005, Bureau of Indian Standards, is given below:
Table 8.3 – Selection of appropriate diameter of storm water collection pipe according
to average rainfall in an hour
The water from the roof of only the main station building has been considered here for
calculation, all other buildings in the premises will only add to the harvesting potential. Water
will have to be filtered and stored in separate storage tanks so that the same can be reused
in the toilets, washing in the restaurant kitchens, etc.
The actual daily water requirement of water at Raipur railway station is about 5-6 lac litres
(i.e. 0.5-0.6 x 106 litres per day). This is stored in a water tank of 4 lac litres capacity and
pumping is done twice a day (data obtained from the office of Sr.DCM Raipur in the year 2008). This water is
obtained from natural sources. Considering this and comparing it with the calculations given
above it can be clearly inferred that almost one and half to two months of water needs of the
station can be recharged into the ground while more importantly about a month’s
requirement can be met by reusing the harvested and stored water.
8.5 Conclusions
In spite of the fact that the land and Amenities Directorate which controls all developments in
railways, wrote a letter to General Managers of all Indian Railways regarding adoption of
rainwater harvesting systems in railway establishments, sadly no significant steps have been
taken so far. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is probably the only exception. It has incorporated
such water harvesting systems in almost all stations wherein the catchment areas have been
optimally designed keeping in view the expected intensity of rainfall.
137
Rainwater harvesting scheme if implemented properly at Raipur railway station can help in
recharging about 13-15% of the average annual water requirement of the station while
almost 8-10% of the annual need can be satisfied by harvested, stored and reused
rainwater. This assumes significance during the peak summer period when there is an acute
scarcity of water in the entire state of Chattisgarh.
As matters stand today, it is extremely important to make water everybody’s business. This
means, the individual owners and the owners of private and public sector undertakings have
to be involved in the act of water management thereby protecting the environment for
posterity i.e. ensuring availability of precious fresh water for the coming generations.
The news extract from on line edition of country’s national news paper ‘The Hindu’ could be
an inspiring and gearing up tool especially because it talks of implementation of water
harvesting schemes in similar building types i.e. Delhi Metro Rail Complexes that are
working successfully. Same is an example of implementing such scheme in public buildings
and generating awareness among the people as well.
Online edition of India's National Newspaper

Thursday, Apr 03, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version
DMRC strives to tap rainwater
Smriti Kak Ramachandran
NEW DELHI: As it prepares to transport more than a hundred thousand people between
the Capital and its posh but water-starved neighbour Gurgaon each day, the Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation is simultaneously doing its bit to tap every drop of rainwater.
The DMRC has made extensive arrangements to catch rainwater on the entire stretch of
the Central Secretariat-Gurgaon line that is scheduled to open by January 2010. To
ensure there is no wastage of rainwater, recharge wells have been constructed at every
50 metres and two each at all the stations.
“We are doing whatever we can to conserve energy and water. In the second phase of
construction, provisions have been made for water harvesting along all lines and at all
stations. We have made recharge wells in the viaduct and at the stations. On the stretch
between Qutub Minar and Gurgaon border alone we have 228 recharge wells,” said Anuj
Dayal, Chief Public Relations Officer of DMRC.
These recharge wells are expected to mitigate the effects of rampant groundwater
withdrawal in the area, which has led to a drastic depletion in water levels.
The DMRC’s energy conservation drive is also being extended to the construction of a
“green building”. In collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), DMRC
is constructing a multi-storey building that will be environment friendly.
Box 8.2 – News extract from on line edition of India’s national newspaper The Hindu,
Thursday April 3, 2008, regarding water harvesting provisions in some of the stations of
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)
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CHAPTER 9
Management of Waste: A
Genuine Need in Railway
Stations
Contents:
9.1 Waste through the Lens of Sustainability

9.2 Management of Waste – A Broader Perspective
9.3 The Gigantic Establishment of IR – Bulk Generators of Solid Waste
9.4 Raipur Railway Station: One of the Busiest Stations
9.5 Waste Management at Raipur Station: A Holistic Approach
9.5.1 Sources of Waste Generation
9.5.2 Review of Present System through Trash Audit
9.5.3 Management of Waste – Possible Solutions
9.6 Conclusions
References:
Print Resources
• Chibber Renu (Sr. DSC/RPF/ Lucknow) A Project Report on
Sustainable and Cost-effective Approach to Cleanliness: A Case
Study of New Delhi Railway Station.
• Manual on Municipal Solid Waste, NEERI,1996
• Manual on Solid Waste Management, CPHEEO, Ministry of Urban
development, GoI, New Delhi. (2001)
• Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Waste Management
and Technology organized by Tsinghua University and Basal
Convention Coordinating Centre for Asia and Pacific (BCRC China) at
Beijing, China,2009
• Sustainable Building Design Manual Volume-2, The Energy and
Web Resources
• http://eco-tecnologia.com (Eco-Tec’s website)
• http://www.cpcb.nic.in/upload/NewItems/NewItem_155_FINAL_RITE_
REPORT.pdf (Assessment of Plastic Waste and its Management at
Airports and Railway Stations in Delhi, December 2009)
• www.cag.gov.in/html/reports/railways/2007_6_peraud/chap_2.pdf(Cle
anliness and Sanitation on Indian Railways, Report No.6 of 2007,
Railways )
• www.inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bottle-schools( different
construction methods)
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Chapter 9: MANAGEMENT OF WASTE: A GENUINE NEED IN RAILWAY STATIONS
9.1 Waste through the Lens of Sustainability
Today in this consumer oriented and highly industrialized society waste is a big inevitable
environmental issue that is universal to all countries of the world. India as a developing
country is not an exception. Urban India is facing a massive problem related to waste
management because of increase in living standards which has subsequently increased the
quantity and changed the composition of the generated waste. There is however an
inadequate understanding of this colossal issue both about the infrastructure requirements
and the social dimensions involved.
Waste should not only be considered as something which needs to be collected and
disposed, but its natural resource roots need to be recognized and the health impact also
needs to be treated holistically. In short waste should be viewed through the prism of
sustainability. Waste has tremendous potential not only for generating livelihoods for the
urban poor but can also enrich the earth through composting and recycling rather than
spreading pollution as has been the case. Hence propagating the slogan, “Waste is Wealth”,
is extremely important for the existence of civilization.
9.2 Management of Waste – A Broader Perspective
The term waste usually relates to materials produced by human activity and is considered to
cause harm to health, environment or aesthetics. As a matter of fact humans are the only
species on earth that produce waste which is not a raw material or nutrient for another
species. We are the only species to produce waste that can be broadly toxic and build up for
long periods of time. Management of waste is a systematic approach to upholding human
health, environment and aesthetics.
• Waste management is the collection transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and

monitoring of waste materials.
• Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it.
• Waste management can involve solid, liquid and gaseous or radioactive substances,
with different methods and fields of expertise for each.
Waste management practices differ for developed & developing nations, for urban & rural
areas, and for residential & industrial producers. Management for non-hazardous residential
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and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local

government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial
waste is usually the responsibility of the generator. Big owners like the Indian Railways
collect the solid waste from their premises and the same is then dumped in the vicinity at
some point from where it then becomes the responsibility of municipal authorities to collect
the garbage and suitably dispose it off.
9.3 The Gigantic Establishment of IR – Bulk Generators of Solid Waste
The holistic approach to management of waste has to consider all types of waste i.e. solid &
liquid waste, hazardous & non-hazardous waste getting generated and accumulated on the
spot. Towards this end the Indian railways with the gigantic network of tracks, allowing the
movement of around 15000 trains per day and being served by around 8000 railway stations
across the country, has been witnessed as bulk generator of solid and liquid waste in trains
and train stations as well. Thus waste generated in trains and stations may be divided and
dealt under following major subheads
Types of Waste Generated in

Trains and Train Stations
Solid Waste
Liquid Waste
•All the plastic and paper waste
•All the waste generated in toilets of generated in trains, platforms,
trains & stations and that of base reservation and booking offices etc
kitchens, in form of gray and black
water •Garbage from vending stalls and
base kitchens
Table9.1 – Types of waste matter generated in railway stations
Cleanliness and Sanitation – A Major Issue in IR: Railways being one of the most availed
transportation in India, adequate heed need to be paid to develop the railway stations
especially towards cleanliness and sanitation. Though the railway stations in India are well
organized and designed to provide all the necessary facilities like computerized reservation,
proper retiring rooms, catering services and numerous other facilities offered to the
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passenger, the Indian Railways has often been criticized for its shoddy cleanliness at the
stations and their precincts. Cleanliness has without doubt been one of the most neglected
areas of railways and no sustainable approach has been developed so far in this sector. This
is probably because of following major reasons:
• Maintaining cleanliness at a public place in a country like India, with abysmally low civic
standards is a continuous and arduous process.
• The entire process of collection and disposal of waste further gets complicated and
eventually become ineffective due to multiplicity of agencies involved with the cleanliness
and sanitation work in railway stations i.e. joint effort of railway employees, contractors
and municipal authorities as well.
The management of waste, thus, appears to be one of the major environmental issues in
station premises. Therefore while considering the green issues in Indian Railways, we need
to take a look at the relevant problems viz.
• Garbage discarded by passengers and staff who spend considerable lengths of time in
trains and stations.
• Dumping of garbage collected from station premises on to roads because there are no
railway dumping yards.
• Solid waste collected by sweepers on and along the platforms, which is rampantly burnt
on the station premises.
• The consumption and wastage of tremendous amount of water in stations and service
yards for washing of aprons containing human waste and lot of other waste matter
carelessly thrown on tracks by passengers, venders and other users.
• Oftenly choked and wet open drains along the tracks become source of odor and give
rise to unhygienic conditions like mosquito breeding etc.
After a detailed study and analysis of the existing condition of Indian Railway Stations it is
found that the waste generated from public and attached toilets of station is collected and
disposed off in septic tank designed with rated capacity, in very rare cases it is found that the
sewage is collected and conveyed to public sewer line. Moreover about recycling of gray
water and reusing or recharging the same appropriately is a measure that has not been
considered and adopted extensively in railway stations. It is further observed and perhaps no
Indian can deny that the solid waste accumulated in station premises is something that is
creating a mess in stations and therefore the management of solid waste in stations
assumes more importance and in turn needs more attention to be paid towards management
of same in stations instead of liquid waste.
Hence, a cradle to grave approach by architects, planners and decision makers is

mandated in order to enable the entire process of waste management( with an
emphasis on solid waste management) to function smoothly with proper concern to
environmental protection and sustainable. In a way being big owners railways must
be self dependent regarding collection separation reuse and finally disposal of the
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waste in their own premises at least by reserving a small patch in the station
premises as dumping yard where operation of some stages of management of waste
like collection sorting etc may take place and railways do not have to depend on the
civic authorities regarding disposal of waste.
9.4 Raipur Railway Station: One of the Busiest Stations
As far as the issue of solid waste is concern, Raipur station is not an exception. The station
being the interchange station attracts more people from all walks of life and thus the
generation and accumulation of solid waste in bulk in the station premises is an issue as
severe as it is in every other busy station of the country.
Figure 9.1 – Schematic plan of railway station at Raipur showing

sewage collection details
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Figure 9.1 illustrates a schematic plan of Raipur station showing the layout of platforms and
a network of drains with the tracks meant for collection of all the gray water from the tracks,
then leading to inspection chambers at the end of tracks. The treatment and disposal of such
gray water has been mentioned in the chapter of water management earlier. The sewage
from the remaining areas i.e. toilets of waiting rooms and retiring rooms etc. is collected and
taken in to the septic tank. As such except for the washable aprons the liquid waste disposal
is not a big issue in the station. The whole attention goes to piled up trash bins and clogged
open drains along the tracks and of course the garbage that is dumped from the trains on to
the stations. In order to address the serious issue of solid waste generated in bulk, at
stations a survey of existing conditions is mandatory, that will then provide a data basis for
proposing appropriate methods of collection and disposal of solid waste in the station so that
a clean and environment friendly premises can be maintained.
9.5 Waste Management at Raipur Station: A Holistic Approach
The Study Area: Railways are the major transport sector in India, hence it becomes
essential to generate the data for Railway sector. The various segments of study are
decided depending upon the channel of waste processing from source to disposal. The
source, packaging materials, formal and informal collection system of waste are important
components / segments. For the purpose of trash audit the study areas identified in the
station premises are listed below:
• Platform & Vendors,
• Offices at station,
• Pantry cars,
• Waiting / Retiring Rooms,
• Base Kitchens
• Dustbins,
• Rag-pickers and Kabadis (junk dealers).
9.5.1 Sources of Waste Generation: It was observed that the main sources leading to the
generation of garbage at Raipur station are:
• The garbage from the pantry cars of passing trains which is dumped in the station yard
itself without any consideration about further disposal.
• Disposable glasses and plates (paper or plastic), polythene bags, plastic water bottles,
tetra packs, etc. create bulk garbage and also block the drains leading to water logging
and accumulation of filth.
• The vendors operating on the stations are also great source of littering.
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• Night soil generated on stations, in spite of request made to the passengers for
restraining the use of the toilets while the train is standing at the platform
• Unauthorized entries to the station (Beggars, urchins and vendors)
• Stationary waste from railway booking office and other related administrative places.
• Discarded electronic and electrical materials in the premises.
9.5.2 Review of Present System through Trash Audit: To evaluate the present system
of collection and disposal of all types of waste a survey was carried out in the year 2009 and
a questionnaire was prepared; answers to same were received either from the users, staff or
the railway officials. The table below reveals the facts about the quantity of waste generated
per day and the process of collection of waste (both solid and sludge) till disposal.
Sr.No. Questions Replies

Questions on Sludge and gray
water
1(a) Layout of sewer line closed or open • For collection of gray water from the
drain system tracks open drains are provided along
all the tracks, but proper collection
and disposal is ignored.
• For other places the toilets of areas
like retiring rooms, staff rest rooms,
toilets for public on platforms, railway
restaurant etc closed sewer lines are
provided with proper provision of
inspection chambers and finally the
sludge is all collected in septic tank.
1(b) Are the sewer lines connected to the Individual septic tanks for each waiting
public sewer line of the city or is there room provided (4 in numbers) – Size of
a provision of septic tank? each tank: 3.60 x 3.00 x 2.40 m( refer
figure 9.1)
1(c) Location of septic tank in station Behind the reservation office
premises
1(d) Layout and size of open drains along Drawing enclosed (refer to above plan)
the tracks
Questions on Garbage
2(a) How many litter bins are provided on 40 litter bins in all are provided
platforms
2(b) What is the capacity of each litterbin 0.014 – 0.028 cum (0.50 to 1.00 cft.)
2(c) Such bins are made out of which Plastic
material? i.e. plastic, steel or cane
2(d) What is the frequency of collection of After pile up, the litter bins are emptied
all the dry waste from litter bins? every four hours (on an average)
3(a) Where is this dry waste collected from At Telghani Naka (outside the station
such bins disposed off premises – in the city i.e. under Raipur
Municipal Corporation jurisdiction)
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3(b) Dose the station have its own dump No (At Telghani Naka – under Raipur
yard or disposal yard within the Municipal Corporation jurisdiction)
premises
3(c) Any efforts taken at the point of No
source of garbage generation to
separate the material?
4(a) Where is the kitchen waste of base All the waste of base kitchen and
kitchen and railway restaurant refreshment room is collected in trash
collected? bins
4(b) If the waste from kitchen is collected 0.042 – 0.056 cum (1.50 to 2.00 cft.) –
in bins, what is the capacity of and no. (This is the capacity of the bins, no of bins
of such bins not mentioned)
4(c) What is the quantity of such waste 0.236 – 0.340 cum (8.00 to 12.00 cft.)
generated in kitchen and refreshment
room every day?
5(a) Where is the kitchen waste dumped? At Telghani Naka
5(b) Any efforts taken to convert such No
waste into compost
6(a) Where do the vendors, who are In the litter bins owned by them
allowed in the platforms, collect their
waste before disposal
6(b) How many such vendors are licensed 61 nos.
to stay on platforms?
6(c) Approximately how much waste is On an average 0.623 cum. (22.00 cft.)
generated by those vendors
7(a) What happens to the dry waste The waste is collected by mechanized
thrown on the railway tracks? cleaning contractors
7(b) How is this waste, collected from The same is dumped at Telghani Naka
tracks, disposed
8(a) Any provisions of recycling or reuse of No
waste
8(b) Any steps taken for reuse of gray No
water
Table 9.2 – Questionnaire for trash audit in railway station at Raipur

(Field Study undertaken in August 2009)
Thus, based on the above information, the total quantity of solid waste that includes both
biodegradable and non biodegradable material is roughly calculated as under:
• Waste collected from all six platforms (concourse) = No. of litter bins X Capacity of each
litter bin X frequency of collection
per day (5-6 times @ of 4hours
interval, as given in the table
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= 40 nos. X 0.028 cum. X 6 times
= 6.72 cum.
• Quantity of waste collected from base kitchen
and refreshment room per day = 0.340 cum.
• Quantity of waste generated by vendors
on platforms per day = 0.623 cum.
• Total quantity of waste (both biodegradable

and non biodegradable) generated per day = 7.683 cum. (274.00 cft) per day
From the survey and observations it is quite evident that as much as approximately eight
cubic meters of waste is generated everyday from Raipur railway station (The same
figure stands at about 35 cum. for a station like New Delhi, which is the capital city of the
country and handles more than twice the number of passenger trains as compared to
Raipur).Thus the collection and disposal of solid waste is a threatening issue for all the busy
railway stations in the country. In this regard the data acquired for few of the busiest railway
stations in Delhi, is also given below which was acquired from a study report sponsored by
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) through RITES Ltd, Gurgaon in December 2009,
relating to “Assessment of Plastic Waste Generation and its Management at 02 Airports and
03 Railway Stations in Delhi”.
Field Studies from Three Major Stations at Country’s Capital City: Delhi has three major
railway stations (H. Nizamuddin, Old Delhi and New Delhi Railway Stations), which cater
maximum commuters of National capital. In all about 522 trains are originating from Delhi
stations. The total number of passenger served at these three stations are 7,25,000 per day
i.e. the passengers served annually are about one fourth of India’s population. There are
about 42 platforms, 146 vendors at these stations to meet the passenger’s requirement. The
solid waste generated at H. Nizamuddin, Old Delhi and New Delhi Railway Station is 4
tones, 8 tones and 11.25 tons respectively. There are 460 dustbins to store the waste at
stations. The various segments of study i.e. Platform Vendors,offices at station, Pantry cars,
Waiting / Retiring Rooms, Dustbins, Rag-pickers, and Kabadis are decided depending upon
the channel of supply i.e. source, distribution of plastic packaging materials and informal
collection system of plastic waste. During the study, it has been observed that unauthorized
rag-pickers are playing an important role in collection, transportation of plastic waste from
railway stations. The rag-pickers collect only value added products like drinking and soft
drink bottles from tracks and platform for their daily earnings. There are about 235 to 260
rag-pickers which are actively involved in the collection of value added plastic products. The
rag-pickers sell the collected plastic wastes to the Kabadis (junk dealers). There are 19
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kabadis near railway stations who were contacted to get the exact quantity of plastic waste
collected per day
.
Quantity of Plastic Waste at Railway Stations like H. Nizamuddin, Old Delhi and New
Delhi: The information collected from various sources was analyzed and the present
quantities of plastic waste generated are worked out. The quantity of plastic waste generated
per day at H. Nizamuddin, Old Delhi and New Delhi railway station is 972 kg, 1,428 kg and
4,358 kg respectively. Out of these total quantities, the value added plastics (water and soft
drink bottles) reported at H. Nizamuddin, Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations is about
20%, 20% and 32% respectively. The per capita plastic waste generation at H. Nizamuddin,
Old Delhi and New Delhi is 7.8 gm, 9.5 gm and 9.7 gm respectively. The plastic waste
generated from sources like unauthorized vendors, passengers, and passing trains are
improbable to quantify as all these factors are variable. However, the quantities generated
from these sources are reflected in the total plastic waste generated from collection yard.
9.5.3 Management of Waste – Possible Solutions: “Green raps railways over waste” this
was the title of a news article that highlighted the issues related to improper disposal of solid
waste collected in station premises in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
(MPCB) issued a show cause notice to both the Central & Western Railway because of their
failure to obtain consent for the management of solid waste generated at stations across
Mumbai; this was an incident which took place in the year 2006. It is quite evident from such
news that even stations like Mumbai and Delhi which serve as gateway to the country are
also facing problems in handling solid waste generated over there.
The huge quantity of garbage discarded by passengers and staff in the trains as well at
stations is a big nuisance for rail management (in fact, as much as 150 kg. of garbage is
generated by passengers in every train). It has been found that in many places the railway
authorities are dumping garbage collected from station premise, on to the roads because
they do not have their own dumping yards. Another bitter fact has also been brought to the
notice of pollution control boards that a variety of solid waste like plastic carry bags, tetra
packs, empty bottles etc. collected by sweepers along the platforms are rampantly burnt on
station premise thereby causing severe air pollution.
In this context, a systematic approach by planners, architects and decision makers is

necessitated in order to ensure that the entire process of solid waste management goes
smoothly, in a systematic manner as shown in the figure 9.2, and with proper concern to
environmental protection & sustainable growth.
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Figure 9.2 – Managing waste, a systematic and planned approach
The possible solutions towards management of waste both solid and liquid waste in railway
stations has been described below under two separate heads as follows:
a. Management of Solid Waste in Railway Station Premises
b. Management of Waste Water & Sludge in Stations
a. Management of Solid Waste in Railway Station Premises: Taking into consideration

the socio-cultural background of the magnitude of the traveling population and consequently
the quantum of waste generated, it does not seem feasible to separate the waste at the
points of generation. Hence it is imperative that the railways collect the waste at a common
place on their premises itself and then separate the same. This entire process of solid waste
management would therefore involve steps which have been summarized as follows;
• Collection: In most of the Indian railway stations the solid waste (which is generated in
bulk quantities) is collected by the railways and then dumped in the city for the municipal
authorities to do the rest. Thus the responsibility is, in a way, shirked by the railways.
Hence, every major station should compulsorily have its own disposal yard, suitably
located on the railway premises, where all the collected waste can be dumped. Since at
present this is not found in stations, big stations with large traffic flow are not able to
handle large quantities of waste. Secondly, collecting the waste on the station premises
would also lessen the burden on the already stretched infrastructure of the civic bodies.
• Separation: The separation can be done in two main stages of which the first stage
would consist of separating the waste at the major stations and the second stage would
involve segregating the remaining waste at the drop off centres (as detailed below).
149
The waste collected in the railway dump yards of major stations would be segregated (in
the first stage) into two parts viz.
wet waste (biodegradable & ‘compostable’) – containing foodstuff (collected from base
kitchens, restaurants, platforms and passing trains) and dry waste (both bio & non-
biodegradable) – containing plastic water bottles, plastic carry bags, tetra packs, glass
bottles, foil, newspaper & magazines, waste paper (from booking offices and
administrative offices) etc.
• Disposal: Biodegradable wet waste matter like foodstuff, fruits etc. separated in the first
stage at the major stations can be dumped in to pits dug in disposal yards. This can then
be composted and used in the gardens and landscaped areas of railways. The balance
portion of the waste goes into the second stage of disposal i.e. it is carried to other
smaller stations which can be designated as Drop off Centers where the remaining
process is executed. (This practice is already in vogue in some of the western countries).
• Recycling & reusing garbage: In the drop off centers all the garbage from neighboring
stations can be collected and easily recyclable waste like waste paper, stationary and
magazines can be processed and reused for packing purposes etc. In some cases
energy recovery is also possible by incinerating the waste in a controlled manner.
Many a times a lot of debris (construction waste) is also generated in the railways
because continuous additions and alterations need to be executed in order to upgrade
the facilities. This construction waste can also be converted into standardized building
blocks or panels which can be reused by the railways themselves in the construction or
renovation of platforms, etc.
Recycling & Reuse of Plastics in stations: As the figures from the field studies of stations
reveal the quantity of non-biodegradable items of plastic, foil etc. is increasing day by day in
stations. The plastic items of different varieties have replaced other packaging options
because of their carefree handling and economics; these items are dumped and sometimes
thrown away carelessly in the dustbins, along the tracks and at corners everywhere in the
premises. Therefore a viable solution regarding reuse of the maximum of such products in
stations may be a better option instead of simply collecting and disposing this bulk quantity
of plastic waste. For developing options of reuse and recycle of these plastic derivatives the
properties of all the varieties of plastics should be known and suitably the options could be
worked out.
Plastic and its Classification: Plastics can be classified in many ways, but most commonly
by their physical properties. Plastics may be classified also according to their chemical
sources. The twenty or more known basic types fall into four general groups: Cellulose
Plastics, Synthetic Resin Plastics, Protein Plastics and Natural Resins. Plastics, depending
on their physical properties, may be classified as thermoplastic and thermosetting
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materials. Thermoplastic materials can be formed into desired shapes under heat and
pressure and become solids on cooling. If they are subjected to the same conditions of heat
and pressure, they can be remolded. Whereas, thermosetting materials once shaped cannot
be softened / remolded by the application of heat. The examples of some typical
Thermoplastic and Thermosetting materials are tabulated in Table 9.3 Out of total uses of
plastic, 80% are Thermoplastic and 20% are Thermosetting. Each Thermoplastic resins are
versatile in nature and hence most suitable for a wide range of packaging applications.
Table 9.3 – Typical thermoplastics and thremoset resins
Categorization of Plastics: The plastic waste is categorized in 7 types based on properties

and applications. These are summarized in Table 9.4 along with recycled products. This
categorization helps to the manufacturers of plastic products with regard to the marking to be
used on the finished product in order to facilitate identification of the basic raw material. To
make sorting and thus recycling easier, the universally accepted standards marking code
has been developed to help consumers identify and sort the main types of plastic. It will also
help in identifying whether the material used on the end product is virgin, recycled or a blend
of virgin and recycled.
Table 9.4 – Categorization of plastics
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Table 9.4 – Categorization of plastics (Continued)
The Indian Railways are practicing various types of plastic packaging to be used by the
platform vendors and pantries through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC). Thermoplastics are used as packaging material. Thermoplastics along with its
packaging applications are summarized in Table – 9.5.
Table 9.5 – Packaging applications of thermoplastics in railway stations
Role of Drop off Centers: All the recyclable thermoplastic waste items may be collected
and sorted in the drop off centers (the smaller stations designated for generating
employment and resolving the problems related to solid waste in stations).These centers
may be developed to set up following supplementary works in the station premises.
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• All the dry waste collected from nearby busy stations may be dropped off in the
dumping yards of these designated places
• The waste can be then sorted out and separated according to the grade and possible
reuse as well as recyclable options referring the tables listed above
• The non-biodegradable solid waste like plastic derivatives can be collected and given
to the informal sector for further recycling.
• Easily recyclable waste like paper and the derivatives may be processed in the
recycling units that are set up in these designated centers only. The products like
paper plates, paper napkins, toilet paper roles, paper bags to be used for bed sheets
to be provided to passengers in AC coaches and trash bins out of recycled paper for
entrained passengers are some such options that could be outcome of these small
units.
• At some of these centers a construction yard may also be developed in order to
manufacture compressed panels for partition walls and filler slabs out the
combination of plastic and construction waste (debris).
• Experiments have been carried out in the field of road building, where recycled
plastic materials are used in road construction. On similar lines, serious thought can
be given to manufacturing railway sleepers and/or paving blocks using the dumped
plastic items.
• Compressed panels with plastic bottles as a filler can also be an alternative building
material thereby exploiting the insulating property of the inherent material.
Potential of Stations in Reusing the Pet Bottles: An Apt Use and Reuse: It is an
outstandingly brilliant idea to get rid of the loads of plastic bottles in stations by reusing the
bottles for construction of walls, floors, arches and columns etc. Reusing these bottles right
at place of collection makes far more sense than shipping them elsewhere to be broken back
down, but in no case plastic bottles, bags, etc. should be allowed to go into the garbage.
Figure 9.3 – Use of plastic bottles for making arch and wall
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Figure 9.4 – Bottles used as fillers for making mud wall (seen at right) and the wall of
cistern which will be finally plastered to make it impermeable.
The photographs taken from Eco-Tec’s web site and few other sites (www.eco-
technologia.com and www.inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bottle-schools) give a broad idea
about exploiting the inherent qualities of plastic bottles for constructing various elements with
enhanced structural and thermal performance.
The huge quantity of bottles thus collected from stations may be used for different elements
of building as shown in the figures 9.3 & 9.4. These bottles may also be used as filler in RCC
slab which may act like better thermal insulator.
b. Management of Waste Water & Sludge in Stations: India has a variety of climatic
zones and in many of these zones, water is a scarce commodity. Thus recycling and
reusing water in such stations makes a lot of environmental and economic sense as well!
Raipur is the capital of the state of Chattisgarh, a state which faces acute water shortage
in the summer months. The station of Raipur consumes almost 5 to 6 lac litres of water
everyday. Of this only a fourth is required for drinking or consumption purposes. The rest
of the water is used for other maintenance and cleaning activities i.e. almost 3.5 lac litres
of water is used and goes down the drain. Most of these activities, however, do not need
fresh water.
• Recycling and reusing gray water: Of the 3.5 lac litres, a major amount is ‘wasted’
at stations – in washing tracks, and in the yards – in washing trains, etc. This
‘wasted’ water can be recycled, treated and reused for landscaping, washing tracks
and trains and in toilet flush tanks. Thus the strain on fresh water can be drastically
154
reduced and the same can be prioritized towards drinking facilities and for satisfying
other consumable needs like use in kitchens, bathrooms, etc. Secondly this would
once again lessen the burden on the municipal infrastructure.
• Recycling sludge: Handling such a large quantum of passenger traffic also has its
pitfalls. There is a proportionately large quantity of urine and sludge that is generated
from the toilets in the station building. Separating the urine from the sludge can make
the former an extremely good bio-fertilizer and the latter can go into a bio-gas plant –
if needed, in collaboration with the municipal authorities, so as to make the options
attractive and economically viable.
The waste from the green toilets (presently being experimented with by the railways)
can also feed the bio-gas plants. As an option to a bio-gas plant the sludge can also
be treated in a decentralized waster water treatment plant (DEWATS). This would
then make the recycled and treated water reusable for landscape and washing
purposes and would produce good quality of manure as well.
As already mentioned earlier, the open drains beside the railway tracks often get choked
due to the solid waste (mainly plastic) that is thoughtlessly disposed by the passengers. The
waste water that passes through these drains can alternatively be collected at a point and
discharged into recharge pits for harvesting, this being a more practical approach
considering the Indian commuter. The waste water from the railway yards (where trains are
washed) can however be recycled treated and reused with minimum efforts and financial
outlay.
9.6 Conclusions
The Indian Railways as an entity is a major consumer of perishable items and consequently
is also a major (bulk) generator of solid waste. It should therefore, take moral responsibility
of managing the waste generated by its system instead of overburdening the respective
municipal bodies. Secondly in the current world scenario especially in the light of
environmental awareness it becomes mandatory on the part of all Corporate bodies that they
put their house in order first. The railways also attract a lot of tourists – both Indian and
foreign and it is essential that they spruce up their shabby image.
The initial expenditure involved in implementing many of the waste management systems
might be high. But then environmental issues are now at a premium and offsetting some of
the expenditure incurred is possible by earning carbon credits alongside. Thus it is high time
that the largest public sector undertaking of the country lead by example!
155
Indian Railways evaluates new methods of disposing waste
In an attempt to go green over garbage handling, the Indian Railways is evaluating new
methods to ensure that it is disposed only at designated locations, a senior official said here.
“We are trying to think of new methods of solid waste management and are looking at some
methods to crush solid garbage on the train itself to make it more manageable,” Rakesh
Tandon, MD Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said.
“We are also evaluating non-burning methods to deal with the garbage and some firms have
shown interest (in such projects). We are exploring the possibilities,” Tandon said.
Indian Railways, which is the largest rail network in Asia, operates close to 11,000 trains
daily of which at least 7,000 are passenger trains.
Each passenger train generates approximately 150 kg of garbage daily, only part of which is
bio-degradable, and there were problems in managing such large quantities of garbage, he
said.
IRCTC was also considering introducing garbage disposal units on the train itself which
would able to dispose vegetable and other bio-degradable waste.
The Railways has already designated 600 stations across the country which would be
responsible for the handling of garbage and caterers are instructed to carry sufficient
material on board train to ensure cleanliness, Tandon said.
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/587291/National/1/20/1
Box 9.1 – News article regarding new methods of waste disposal to be implemented
for entrained passengers
156
CHAPTER 10
Conclusions for a Holistic
Approach
Contents:
10.1 Propagating the Concept of Sus-Stations

10.2 Objectives of Sustainable Stations
10.3 The Fact File
10.4 Scope for Further Studies
10.5 End Note
References
Web Resources
• http://swangroup.co.in/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/CSP_Indian_R
ail_Heritage.258171148.pdf (Indian Rail Heritage and its
Conservation-Planning for Conservation)
• www.nweurope.eu/Inedx.php?act=project_details&id=4142(Sustations
-Achieving Sustainable Stations)
• www.susstations.org
157
Chapter 10: CONCLUSIONS FOR A HOLISTIC APPROACH
10.1 Propagating the Concept of Sus-Stations
The term sus-stations referring to sustainable railway stations has been taken from the
website www.susstations.org that speaks of Sustainable Railway Stations in Europe. In the
field of transport industry one might find high-tech inventions and developments being
carried out on transport vehicles as well as transport hubs in several parts of world but there
are only few countries that are striving for green pursuits in these transportation hubs
especially in rail transport. Countries like Britain, Japan and China are actively involved in
developing green stations and earning carbon credits thereon, hence India being a country
having the second largest railway system in the world, should take heed and propagate the
concept of sus-stations in the country.
10.2 Objectives of Sustainable Stations
Sustainable station is not an innovative concept; it is all about implanting the widely
discussed idea of resource management & conservation in the design of railway station
buildings. At present there is very little awareness and use of stations as resources for
developing or demonstrating sustainable technology. The conclusions drawn from the earlier
chapters are reframed in the following manner to clarify the objectives of sus-stations in
general, for developing countries like India.
 Railways are big consumers of valuable natural resources like land, water energy
and materials and it is high time now for IR to realize the environmental issues that
are aggravating day by day and respond by giving a green signal to all green
building reforms.
 The stations should sustain longer and increase self-dependency by managing at
least two major resources water and energy in their premises in the following three
ways
• By optimizing the consumption of water and electricity
• Harvesting rain water and
• Decreasing the load on national grid by setting up energy farms (means of
renewable energy generating devices).
 The railway stations in a way are a gateway to the place or region, therefore the
design of stations should incorporate the local material and features in order to
retain the regional identity. Towards these lines conserving heritage structures that
158
are part of station premises or are in the vicinity become the prime objective of
sustainable development of stations.
 Since the stations are accessed by huge mass, people from all walks of life, the
stations demonstrating various means of resource conservation and sustainable
development may serve as the easy means to propagate the idea of protecting the
environment by opting for strategies of sustainable development.
 The role of an architect will be strengthened if the stations are designed with the
above mentioned objectives. Thus the involvement of architects will further minimize
haphazard development and lead to planning with proper foresight in stations,
something which is currently not witnessed in a majority of railway stations in the
country.
 A user friendly design focusing on the needs of Indian families and commuters
should be encouraged rather than a station with just iconic looks.
10.3 The Fact File
Achieving solutions to environmental problems that we face today requires long-term

potential actions for sustainable development. There is, however no single formula for
developing a successful train station because of a number of hurdles. Following are some of
the major facts that need to be considered and accepted
 On one hand we have to stand and compete in the race of developing countries, for
which developing a world class station at all places of international importance is
imperative while on the other hand the environmental issues are challenging the
very survival and consequently need a careful and conscious sustainable approach
that contradicts the previous option. The solution lies in setting the order of
preference or priorities.
 It is not possible to develop a common sustainability tool for all stations across the
country; this tool should be tailored according to the place, category of station,
natural features like climate and several other relevant factors.
 A user friendly design is one of the key concerns of sustainable development but in
the context of train travelers in India where user group is perhaps the widest range
(people from all walks of life, people of all age groups and infirm people) that needs
to be considered, satisfying all the people / groups is a big challenge. Along with
this, maintaining cleanliness at a public place, in a country like India with abysmally
low civic standards, is a continuous and arduous process.
159
 Though energy efficient building techniques are simple and executable but again it
is a big challenge to accept and implement a new trend setting proposal for station
complexes by breaking the trends for railway stations that are followed from colonial
period when Britishers started rail transport in India.
 Some of the green techniques are implemented in railways like use of solar energy
for signaling and telecommunication, solar based water heating systems for retiring
rooms, fly ash sleepers, use of energy efficient lights in stations etc. but this is not
just enough for the gigantic set up of railways to go green.
 Application of piezoelectric cells as energy generating floors(crowd farms) seems to
be interesting but this technology has not yet seen in our country, therefore a
passionate determining approach is required if one wishes the same technology to
be experimented in railway stations; which seem to be a futuristic approach as if
now.
 The rail authorities are realizing the environmental risk and they are even ready to
go green but the question mark is in taking an initiative….. By whom should the
initiative be taken? By the rail authorities, the architects or the government itself……
10.4 Scope for Further Studies
The scope for further studies with a topic regarding railways is as wide as the expanse of
railways itself in the country. The current study mainly focuses over exploring green
concepts in railway stations in general, while there is a great possibility for the same
research work to extend and expand on several grounds.
Selecting single or multiple areas for

comprehensive studies and research
Detailed Studies, Data Collection,Field

Surveys and User Preference Surveys etc.
Detailed Analysis
Reconciliation to get a solid data basis and a

realistic view of specific requirements for railways
Proposal: Implementation
Table10.1 – Research Methodology
160
Following are the areas that provide enough of scope for study and research work to be
carried out in tune with planning, architecture and designing.
 As per the current study there are four major thrust areas viz. Building Management,
Energy Management, Water Management and Waste Management. The outlines that are
drawn for managing all the above stated areas can be further detailed out and proposal with
complete & clear cut guidelines based on surveys and calculations may be given for the
stations.
 If only building management is dealt in isolation the studies may include case studies
and surveys of station premises belonging to a specific climatic zone, like wise all the six
climatic zones with places may be studied and specific applications instead of general
guidelines may be suggested. This area of building management encompasses following
areas that can also be selected in isolation for future studies
• It is possible that the advanced research is based on design of platform shelters
only, the current trend, revised structural forms; economic designs considering
building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) etc. this study may be extended with
comprehensive study of structure for shelter, structural options for structural
forms, study of photovoltaic with calculations and capacity of power generation,
consideration of problem areas and ground realities and feasibilities of application
and successful operation.
• As conservation of existing structures is one of the key objectives of sustainable
development, the study may only focus over importance of rail heritage, including
listing out the structures all over the country that possess heritage value, history
and significance of same and finally conservation of all those rail heritage
structures clubbed with design of new buildings in context with the region to
strengthen the heritage value of the place, may be the contents.
 One can explore all the possibilities of utilizing piezo electric technology in railway
stations by intense studies of technology and appropriate applications of these piezo cells in
station premises. A test modal may also be prepared for testing in station. This study may
be clubbed with application of BIPV to optimize the cost of platform shelters. The studies of
these two areas of piezo and PV would be inclined towards science and technology thus
involving calculations and final output as test modal.
 A complete proposal with design of platform shelters for collection of rainwater,
design of various components of water harvesting systems with emphasis over recharge
structure and storage structures may contain detailed calculations and drawings to some
extent. At present there is a legitimate need of implementing such scheme in stations. Such
schemes can also be implemented in the existing stations with little alterations.
161
 Waste management in isolation has a tremendous scope to go ahead with the

advanced research work more over managing the solid waste in stations is a big nuisance
for authorities therefore finding a feasible solution and getting it implemented will be a big
achievement. The research work related to this field may focus upon recycle and reuse by
emphasizing over reuse of construction waste and plastic bottles in station premises.
10.5 End Note:

Some people are giving a serious thought to revival of Indian railway stations, a few of the
architects and NGO’s are already involved with the said work. The e-news extract given
below gives an indication that it is high time now that we the Indians should have our railway
stations revamped as per our own requirements and also according to environment friendly
guidelines because rail transport is the lifeline of our country……..
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Amenities-could-hit-station-
roofs/articleshow/10409811.cms
Amenities could hit station roofs

Clara Lewis, TNN | Oct 19, 2011, 05.27AM IST
If the sloping roofs of Mumbai's railway stations were to be replaced with flat ones, it would
create as much as 155 acres of open space across 51 railway stations. The roofs would
serve as entry and exit points to platforms, disburse commuters across platforms and also
provide space for various amenities.
Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar, along with civic activist and architect P K Das, has proposed
to the Union railway ministry that the colonial sloping roofs must give way to flat roofs to
create more space for commuters at crowded railway stations. This, they argued, before
Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, would also enable the railways to create more access
points from roads to railway stations and help better disbursement of commuters.
Currently, all railway stations have sloping roofs interspersed with a couple of foot over
bridges that provide access to and away from the platforms. While the length of platforms
has increased along with that of the trains, the number of foot over bridges has remained
more or less constant owing to space constraints. Similarly, the railways have been unable
to provide sufficient number of exit and entry points to handle the large swathe of humanity
that uses the city's lifeline daily. "If the roofs are flattened, then all the platforms can be freed
from encumbrances. Conveniences such as the drinking water stand, newspaper stand,
toilets, shoeshine boys, tea and snack stalls can be accommodated on the roof," said P K
Das and added that it would free up space on the platforms for passengers to move more
freely as well embark and disembark from trains. Das said that staircases and lifts at various
points would mean that platforms could be accessed by people at different places. This
would reduce crowding on the foot over bridges and also reduce the time that people take to
get on or off a platform.
162
"In the old days, a physical check was necessary to ensure that people without ticket did not
access the railway platform. But if technology were to be used simultaneously such as swipe
cards, the number of entry and exit points could be increased immensely," he said.
Gaurang Damani from the NGO Die Hard Indian, who did a survey of the 108 railway
stations in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for the Observer Research Foundation, said the
concept was good but would be impractical at stations where the platforms are quite narrow.
"Putting staircases from the roof to the platforms would eat up space and cause
inconvenience, for instance, at Dadar, where the platforms are narrow."
Jagdeep Desai, architect and member of the Forum for Better Quality of Life in the Suburbs,
said subways were a better option than staircases. "Commuters would have to climb less.
Also, a flat roof would mean consumption of more energy. At present, skylights help provide
sunlight," he said.
Box10.1 - E- news regarding revising the design of platform shelters
163
ANNEXURE
Annexure - I
Papers/Publications
Nov.2009: Paper titled “Waste Management in Indian Railway Station (A

Proposal for Raipur Station”, submitted and accepted for 4th
International Conference on Waste Management and
Technology organized by Tsinghua University and Basal
Convention Coordinating Centre for Asia and Pacific (BCRC
China) at Beijing, China
Nov 2009: Paper submitted for National Convention of IIA (NATCON) at

Nagpur Titled “Revival of Indian Railway Stations: A Move
towards Sustainable Future” under the theme The Second
Renaissance.
July 2009: Technical Paper titled “Non- conventional Energy

Applications for Non- traction use in railway Station
Buildings” published in the proceedings of Annual Convention
of Indian Building Congress at New- Delhi
Nov 2008: Paper Titled “Rainwater Harvesting in Indian Railway

Stations” published in proceedings of IBC midterm Session at
Nagpur
Jan 2006: Paper presented in the midterm Session of Indian Building

Congress at Raipur, Title of the paper – “Integrated Approach
towards Sustainable Development of Indian Railway
Stations” Theme – Green Buildings
164
ANNEXURE
Annexure - II
165

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INTEGRATED APPROACH TO

Final Thesis Report

M.ARCH. (BY RESEARCH)

MS. G. SATYALAXMI NAIDU

Under the guidance of

Manoharbhai Patel Institute of Engineering and Technology, Gondia

Prof. A. D. Shirodkar Dr. V. R. Chandrayan

I am definitely grateful to my mother-in-law for supporting me beyond all the

Date: G.Satyalaxmi Naidu

If there is anything else as complex, vast, deep, huge, humongous, intricate,

This project Sustainable Station or Sus-stations is about a new genre of

The project proposes more sustainable construction and management of

A sustainability assessment tool may be developed for Sus-stations or

It is imperative that urban planners, urban designers and architects make a

1.1 Four pillars of sustainable development in railway stations 5

8.1 Schematic plan of Raipur railway station showing Inspection

1.1 Three stages of research in a sequence 6

7.1 E-news from power sector regarding application of solar panels in

I List of publications 164

1.1 Deciding the Field and Title of the Research Work

1.1 Deciding the Field and Title of the Research Work:

‘INTEGRATED APPROACH TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN

1.2 Need of Such Research Work in Today’s Context:

competitiveness. In the 20th century environmental management meant working on

1.3 Scope of the Research Work:

1.4 Extent and Limitations of the Research Work:

• Railway Platforms with the Tracks

1.5 Aims and Objectives:

Figure1.1 – Four pillars of sustainable development in railway stations

1.6 Research Methodology:

The project can be handled comprehensively in three stages as mentioned below –

Comprehensive study of some of the existing railway station buildings to

Litrrature Survey and compilation of tecnologies related to Environment

Reconciliation to get a solid data basis and a realistic view of specific

Table 1.1 – Three stages of research work in a sequence

2.2 Sustainable Development:

resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development,

2.2.2 Three Dimensions of sustainability: If taken in a broader perspective, sustainable

for a sustainable future. To certain extent, if the building or settlement is environmentally

Figure2.1 – Venn diagram showing the three dimensions of sustainability

2.2.3 Issues in Sustainable Development:

Figure2.2 – The six major issues of sustainable development in building industry

i. Sustainable Urban Design

Landform/Microclimate Site Design Infrastructure Efficiency

Land-Use Transportation On-Site Energy Resources

Use density Integrated, multimodal street Geothermal/groundwater

ii. Sustainable Transportation

iii. Sustainable Cities and Green Development

Energy: Achieving sustainable solutions in this field mainly encompasses energy

ii. Renewable Energy

i. Waste Management Strategies

ii. Waste hierarchy

Table 2.3 – Table showing hierarchy for waste management

1. to use, consume, spend, or expend 1. a place, region, or land that is uninhabited

2. to cause to lose energy, strength, or vigor; 2. a devastated or destroyed region, town, or

4. to destroy completely 4. garbage; trash

Table 2.4 – Interpretation of term waste as verb and waste as noun

2.3 Concepts of Sustainable Development

"Architecture presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction

Sustainable Construction Environmental Architecture

Ecological Building Green Building

Figure2.3 – The four major co-related concepts of sustainability in building industry