M. Anand Principal Counsellor, CII – Indian Green Business Council (IGBC)
Late Dr. Prem C. Jain Late Chairman, Indian Green Building Council

Introduction
Indian Railways, with 115,000 km (71,000 miles) of track and over 7,000 stations, is one of the world’s largest railway networks. Indian Railways carries more than 23 million passengers a day, roughly half of whom are suburban passengers. Its operations cover twenty-nine states and seven union territories; it also provides limited international services to neighbouring countries. The stations of Indian Railways have wide coverage across various small towns and villages, touching the lives of millions of commuters every day. Operations of trains and railway stations lead to significant impact on the environment. Apart from the environmental impact, some of the key issues to be addressed are health, hygiene, sanitation, energy and waste management at the stations. The rating system is designed and developed to address the above issues and enhance commuter experience.

Green Railway Stations Rating System
Building on this imperative, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) in partnership with Environment Management Directorate of Indian Railways has launched the Green Railway Stations Rating System – a tool designed to facilitate adoption of Green concepts and reduce the adverse environmental impacts of railway stations’ operation and maintenance. The overarching principle of the rating is to enhance commuter experience. The rating system facilitates energy efficiency improvements; use of renewable energy sources; water management and rain water harvesting; health, hygiene and sanitation; Green cover and providing universal access.

Benefits of Green Stations
Green stations can have substantial benefits, both tangible and intangible. Some of the benefits are:
• Green and smart passenger amenities for enhanced comfort, health and hygiene
• Improved resource efficiency by reducing power and water demand
• Effective waste management 
• Increased use of renewable energy
• Enhanced commuter experience
The most tangible benefits are the reduction in water and energy consumption. Energy savings could range from 20 to 30% and water savings from 30 to 50%.

Intangible benefits of Green stations include enhanced air quality, excellent daylighting, and health and well-being of passengers. Adoption of Green concepts will enhance the convenience and comfort of the passengers.

Till now, IGBC has certified Secundrabad, Jaipur, Howrah, New Delhi, Chennai Central, Varanasi and Katra as Green railway stations.

India’s First IGBC Platinum Rated Green Railway Station
Providing a major impetus to the Green and sustainable initiatives of Indian Railways is the award of IGBC Platinum rating to Secunderabad Railway Station (South Central Railway). The station gains the unique distinction of becoming India’s first platinum rated Green railway station.

Some of the Green features implemented at Secunderabad station are:
Energy
1. 500 kWp grid connected solar PVs installed at station rooftop. 500 kWp rooftop solar PV implementation in progress.
2. 100% LED lit station (4,859 fi xtures), and 95% outdoor lighting is downward (no night sky pollution).
3. 100% fans (1,300 in number) are with BLDC motors, and BEE 5 star rated.
4. 100% inverter ACs, pumps and motors are BEE 5 star rated.
5. More than 95% energy use applications are metered.

Passenger Comfort
1. Interior layout improved to achieve 90% spaces with day-light, and no artificial lighting during day-time.
2. More than 80% spaces with adequate fresh air ventilation (centralised evaporative cooling in the large general waiting hall and openable windows in rooms).
3. 100% tobacco free and 100% plastic free zone at station premises.
4. More than 75% of the rooftop is covered with either high SRI paint or solar PV, enhancing comfort conditions in the station building.

Water Management
1. 90% of water fixtures (490 fixtures replaced) are low flow fi xtures, reducing overall water consumption.
2. 100% waste water from station and coaching yard (3.5 lakh litres) is treated and recycled for coach washing and apron cleaning requirement (2 lakh litres).

3. 100% mechanised station cleaning, laundry, on board housekeeping and Green housekeeping chemicals in procurement policy.

Waste Management
100% solid waste segregation (for municipal, recyclable, hazardous and biomedical waste) in place, 10 Tonne waste-toenergy plant implementation in progress.
Piyush Goyal, the Central Minister for Railways, presented the IGBC plaque and certifi cate to Vinod Kumar Yadav, General Manager, Secunderabad in a program organised at the railway station on June 15. Secunderabad Railway Station, in many ways, has set new benchmarks in energy and environment management. The day is not far when India would be seen as a global Green leader in mass transportation.