No footbridge puts commuters at risk

chennai

April 30: After the train hijack mishap, the Vysarpadi Jeeva railway station may be making commuters vulnerable to the risk of being run over by trains as the only foot overbridge that was damaged in the accident has been removed. Also, there is a wide gap now between the platform and the track, which may prove fatal for passengers disembarking or boarding EMUs.
A visit on Thursday morning revealed that the locality is yet to recover from the after shock of the accident. Several commuters who got off trains visited the accident spot and walked the length of the railway station to get a feel of the accident impact.
“We came to know about the accident through news and media channels and were anxious to visit the spot. As onlookers were not allowed yesterday, we visited the spot today and saw what is left of Jeeva station,” K. Prabhakaran and S. Murugesan, employees of Chennai Port Trust, said.
“I was here at the station when the mishap occurred and the sound of the explosion and the cries of the accident victims are still ringing in my ears. I did not sleep a wink the whole night,” a booking office staff at Vysarpadi station said.
“My colleagues and juniors informed me that the booking office was engulfed in flames following an accident. When I rushed to the station by 5.10 pm, my eyes were filled with tears,” a senior official in charge of the station said.
The safety of the entire station has to be reassessed and repairs to be taken up. The only foot over bridge is lost and the platform has been badly damaged to a length of about 50 metres.
“We have taken up the issue with senior officials at headquarters and have sought their early intervention,” the official added.