Shoranur Junction is the largest railway station in Kerala; however, it lacks even the most basic facilities. There are no toilets at the first platform for the passengers. There was a ladies’ toilet there, but it is now closed.
The deputy station manager, Sathish Babu, said that there are toilets on the second platform, which is in the first-class waiting room. There is a pay-and-use toilet at the 6th platform of the railway station. He had no answer as to why there were no sufficient toilet facilities in the station.
Thousands of passengers arrive and leave daily at this railway station, and it’s difficult without a proper toilet facility at each platform. The catering staff in the first platform also use the toilets inside the station, and one of the catering staff members said that they use the toilets of the passenger trains that halt in the first and second platforms most of the time.
There is also one waiting room for passengers who have sleeper and AC tickets, and a VIP lounge in the 2nd platform of the railway station. Also, for ladies, there is a separate waiting room.
Passengers who have general tickets have the right to use the second-class waiting room at any railway station in Kerala, but here, there are no facilities for that. Yet another difficulty faced by people having second-class or general tickets in this station.
At the first through seventh platforms, there are only these two waiting rooms for thousands of passengers arriving and leaving the Shoranur Junction railway station.
No platform is fully covered, with no fully roof-covered platforms in this station, except for the first platform. Only the middle part is covered with a roof, the rest – the front and the backside, are open, and the passengers have to brave sunlight, rain, and all types of weather changes to get into the train.
There are no escalators in this station, and there is only one lift that can be only used by passengers with disabilities. For others, there is no relief, as even those passengers who feel tired during their journey have to climb several steps to go out or to reach other platforms for further journey.