Lack of FOB puts people at risk

The Railway Act prohibits people from crossing railway tracks and even has provisions to put the offenders behind bars for trespassing.

However, commuters at the Nemilicherry railway station, a suburb situated near Chennai, have no other choice but to cross the tracks as they can neither enter nor exit the station, thanks to the absence of a foot overbridge (FOB).

The railway station, located on the Chennai - Tiruvallur section, was built two years ago, but lacks several basic amenities, including an FOB, is taking its toll on commuters, particularly students.

“About 15,000 passengers, of whom a majority are students, use the railway station daily,” Chandrasekaran, a local resident says. “Though we cannot specify the number of fatal accidents, it is abysmally on the rise,” he adds.  Sandwiched between Pattabiram and Tirunindavur, Nemilicherry, a fast growing suburb, has two engineering colleges, arts and science institutions and a teachers’ training college.

Besides, a number of private schools here have students coming in from far and wide localities of Chennai and Tiruvallur districts.

Students, who cannot afford the high bus fee charged by educational institutions, commute by train to Nemilicherry. However,  lack of an FOB puts their lives at risk.

Balasubramanian, a class seven student of a private school hailing from Tirunindravur, says that he is very cautious while crossing the railway track. “I would hold the hands of others crossing the track to reach the other side,” he says. In fact, the issue was highlighted during the 138th Divisional Rail Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) meeting of the Chennai Division of the Southern Railway last week.

“A senior railway official with the Chennai Division admitted that several run overs were being reported near the railway station. The railway authorities have also assured us that they will construct a subway for the convenience of the commuters,” says S Mohan Ram, a member of DRUCC.

He has also urged the Railways to provide facilities such as drinking water and toilets.