RailEnquiry

When it comes to infrastructure facilities, the railway stations in the city have a long way to go. The numerous accidents at the Whitefield railway station is a telltale sign of this. In response, DNA does a check on the city railway station-one of the most used stations in the city.
Despite being thronged by thousands of commuters every day, the city railway station is ill equipped to manage the crowd. The security checks at the station are practically nil except for CCTV cameras at the platforms and the subways. The various unofficial approaches to the station are of no help either. These are only the external threats that the station is prone too. Despite having a foot overbridge and a subway for passengers to access the 10 platforms in the station, a threat very similar to the one at Whitefield exists here too. Numerous commuters use the path paved out for trolleys and carts to access the station. While a lot of people make use of this path as it is easier and faster compared to using the overbridge or the subway, the irregularity in the functioning of lifts in the subway is a pressing problem, especially for the disabled and senior citizens.
Asha Sridhar, a housewife travelling with her two children to Mysore, decided to cut across the tracks rather than climb the stairs or use the subway. Her excuse was, "It is simpler. It is difficult to carry all the luggage and climb stairs."
Railway officials in the station acknowledged this to be a serious problem and were unable to find a solution to it. When asked if better enforcement would help, RPF officials at the station said, with about 110 staff at the station, it was next to impossible. "At times, we do impose a fine of `200 on people for trespassing. But, many people claim they do not have the money and others just pay and repeat the same offence," said an official at the railway station, adding, "Unless people respect the rules, no amount of enforcement will help."
However sometimes, there are genuine cases of difficulties. Aparna Chakravarthy, a senior citizen with severe knee problem was forced to climb the steps to get across the platforms. Struggling her way up, pausing every now and then to relieve the pain in her knees and to catch a breath, she said, "I wish there were lifts or some other way I could reach the other platform." When told that there are lifts and carts that can take her across, she said she wasn't aware of these facilities.
The lack of information with regard to the facilities at the station is a problem that needs to be immediately addressed. Many commuters are unaware of the carting facility at the station. According to commuters, although there were lifts in the subway, most of them did not work.