KOZHIKODE: The bomb squad at Kozhikode railway station that was closed down for months was reopened at the third platform recently. Following reports by DC about the closure of the squad in a crucial station like Kozhikode, M.K. Raghavan MP had demanded immediate intervention by the Southern railway manager. The squad was reopened with one ASI and three constables.
The MP had pointed out that the station was frequented by 60000 passengers per day and this city was the commercial and educational hub of North Kerala. This is the only A1 category station of Palakkad Division. A majority of A1 stations of other divisions in Southern Railway like Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Trichy and Salem have full-fledged RPF bomb squads.
The Kozhikode office has a searchlight, computer printer, walkie talkie, HHMD, telescopic mirror, DFMD, explosive detector, trolley mirror, bomb disposal suit etc. There were fears that if the office remained closed, the hi-tech equipment would become rusted as there was no one to maintain them occasionally.
