Title - All is not well at Dindigul Railway Station

Dindigul Railway Station is drawing flak from the public on account of the hardship that commuters must endure.public on account of the hardship that commuters must endure.For a start, the station has just two functioning ticket counters to cater for unreserved seats, causing great inconvenience to travellers during the rush hour between 6.15 a.m. and 7.50 a.m. every day. Four trains – Dindigul-Nagoor, Dindigul-Madurai and Dindigul Palani passenger trains and Chennai bound Vaigai super fast express — stop at the station.With the Southern Railway set to introduce Palani-Chennai Express and Tiruchendur-Palani passenger train in July or August, these two ticket counters would not meet the needs of the commuters, a railway source said.The source said the station manager sometimes deputes officials from other departments to issue tickets to clear the last minute rush.Priority is given to passengers going to Chennai on the Vaigai Express, say the railway police. “The crowd is huge during festival days. We struggle to regulate it”, says S. Babu of the Railway Police.Passengers must cross the underpass to reach the platforms from the ticket counters. The underpass has clogged drains, and bleaching powder has been dumped as a temporary measure to subdue the stench.

With no ventilation, the underpass poses a public health risk. As a result, passengers resort to crossing the railway tracks to reach the platforms, putting their lives at risk.

Plans to construct an overbridge and additional platforms are yet to get off the ground. The ground work to lay the first platform, begun two years ago, has not progressed, say senior station officials.

Passengers run helter- skelter in search of their coaches as the electronic coach indicators in all the four platforms have been defunct for the past six months. They must rely on platform vendors for help while boarding trains.

“Many long distance trains halt for a few minutes at Dindigul. Passengers have little time to board the train. With no indicator, passengers, especially the elderly and women with children, run from one end to other end of the platform to find their coaches”, says, S. Periasamy, a vendor.

“The five-year maintenance contract with a Delhi- based contractor has expired. A new contractor will be hired after floating a tender. We have written to the DRM office in Madurai”, said a staff member of the technical wing.

“Shortage of hands is the biggest handicap. I have informed the Madurai office about the failure of coach indicators. Things will be set right soon”, says N. Murugan, Station Manager of Dindigul Railway Station.