Title - Whitefield rly station lax in commuter safety

Two fatal accidents on the rail tracks at the Whitefield station and the subsequent spontaneous public protests Wednesday morning have raised questions about passenger and commuter safety.

Many believe the accidents were the result of poor infrastructure and the lack of a foot overbridge at the station that compels people to cross the tracks.

Meenakshi, a shopkeeper at the station, says she witnesses such accidents at least twice a month. “There is a bus stop on the one side and a railway platform on the other.

Getting from one side to the other safely is an ordeal. While there is no pedestrian crossover, there is a flyover that is usually chock-a-block. Even if we take that route, we have to walk at least a kilometre to reach the other end. Taking the road takes three kilometres. Whereas crossing the tracks does not even take minutes. So, everybody chooses the easy way out.”

The station master, however, says that more than the lack of infrastructure, it is the carelessness and hurry of the commuters that cause these accidents. His point may hold true as some passengers admit to being negligent while crossing the tracks.

“I have noticed many people crossing the tracks wearing their earphones and not being able to hear an oncoming train. I myself have had a near-death experience. I was talking on my phone when I was suddenly startled by the hoot of the train. I was so engrossed talking on the phone that I did not realise I was crossing the tracks,” said Kumar who passes through the Whitefield railway station daily.

However, there is no denying that the number of such accidents can be greatly reduced with some basic infrastructure like the much-needed overbridge. Though railway officials claim the spadework for building a railway bridge has been done, the station master says the government is the main culprit so far as delay in installing the foot overbridge is concerned.

“The railways has always been ready to release funds to build the bridge and the tender for the same was passed almost one and a half years ago. It is the government that has caused the delay, as it has not released the required funds. People should be asking them for answers,” he said.

Services disrupted

Protesters at the station blocked three trains from early morning till 12 noon for almost about five hours on Wednesday. Three trains - the Bangalore-Chennai Express, Tumkur-Bangalore push-pull passenger train and the Kolar-Bangalore Express - had to be halted at the station.

There were also disruptions in the schedules of nearby stations, according to the station master at Whitefield. A passenger train at the nearby KR Puram station was also delayed.

A senior official from the South Western Railway said they had to cancel four trains - Bangalore Cantonment to Bangarpet (Train 76507), Bangarpet to Bangalore Cantonment (Train 76508), Bangalore to Bangarpet (Train 66530) and Bangarpet to Bangalore (66531) due to protests.

“I had to go to Bangarpet for an emergency meeting with a client. I waited for two hours at the City Railway Station in the morning. Officials had little clue about when the services would resume.

As soon as they announced cancellation of the train to Bangarpet, I decided to take a bus. The issue could have been settled much earlier if the senior railway officials had gone to the spot in the morning,” said a passenger.