FLIRTING WITH DANGER
Fence at Mount stn killed 10 in 1 month
Senior Railways Official Debunks Theory That The Structure Was Built In Violation Of Standards
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com25.07.2018
The cement fence separating platform 3 and the track at St Thomas Mount Railway Station has accounted for at least 10 deaths in the last one month, say railway sources. All those killed were leaning out while travelling on the footboard and were hit by the fence, they added. Almost all of them were youngsters, including a youth in his 20s returning home after his first day at work.
Apart from the four commuters killed on Tuesday morning, two died on Monday evening, the incident being similar to the one on Tuesday, when the Chennai Beach-Chengalpet fast local sped through St Thomas Mount without stopping. The train on Tuesday was a slow service and stopped. Another youngster died last Wednesday, while a few others died last month, say sources.
Slow suburban trains generally stop at platforms 1 and 2 at the station. Platform 3 is a virtual island, separated from platform 4 by a track. Not used by passengers on a regular basis, speeding ex trains and fast local trains w past these platforms. For o tional exigencies, like on Tue morning, slow trains are al lowed on to platforms 3 or 4.
“Platform 3 is not very The cement fence is to avoid muters, if any, from getting su out by the pressure created speeding train or falling ont track,” said a railways offici A senior railways official h debunked the theory that th fence was built in violation of railway standards. The distance to be maintained between the track and any permanent or temporary structure nearby, called schedule of dimensions (SOD), varies for different sections, for example along curves or dif- St. ferent types of rolling Mount stock, like wagons or passenger coaches, he said.
“For the Chennai suburban train network, the SOD is 2.1351 metres. The structure at St Thomas Mount station was well beyond this distance. It was safe,” the official said. This means the entire body of each of the commuter including hands and their shoulder bags could have been outside the train during the run, causing them to get entangled with the fence.
Former chief operations manager of Southern Railway Abraham Jacob said there were safety clearances for larger structures that come near railway tracks, calling for a wholesome safety review.
A senior official echoed these views, stating that the railways designed coaches for regular travellers and not for a ‘dense crush load’ which would account for footboard travellers.
“It is time to review the safety clearances in the design on suburban sections,” he said.
TIMES VIEW
Accidents claiming lives of suburban train passengers travelling on footboard have been happening with alarming regularity. Besides increasing the number of tracks and frequency of trains to reduce rush, the railways should introduce doors in all trains.
While the new rakes have to be manufactured with automatic doors, the old ones can be retrofitted. It is a costly proposition, but nothing can be costlier than so many lives.
Indian Railways’s suburban network has been operating with a minimum ticket of ₹5 for 20km for several years. Instead of blaming on losses the suburban services make, the railways should increase fares and lobby for better budgetary allocation for urban mass transport.
Fence at Mount stn killed 10 in 1 month
Senior Railways Official Debunks Theory That The Structure Was Built In Violation Of Standards
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com25.07.2018
The cement fence separating platform 3 and the track at St Thomas Mount Railway Station has accounted for at least 10 deaths in the last one month, say railway sources. All those killed were leaning out while travelling on the footboard and were hit by the fence, they added. Almost all of them were youngsters, including a youth in his 20s returning home after his first day at work.
Apart from the four commuters killed on Tuesday morning, two died on Monday evening, the incident being similar to the one on Tuesday, when the Chennai Beach-Chengalpet fast local sped through St Thomas Mount without stopping. The train on Tuesday was a slow service and stopped. Another youngster died last Wednesday, while a few others died last month, say sources.
Slow suburban trains generally stop at platforms 1 and 2 at the station. Platform 3 is a virtual island, separated from platform 4 by a track. Not used by passengers on a regular basis, speeding ex trains and fast local trains w past these platforms. For o tional exigencies, like on Tue morning, slow trains are al lowed on to platforms 3 or 4.
“Platform 3 is not very The cement fence is to avoid muters, if any, from getting su out by the pressure created speeding train or falling ont track,” said a railways offici A senior railways official h debunked the theory that th fence was built in violation of railway standards. The distance to be maintained between the track and any permanent or temporary structure nearby, called schedule of dimensions (SOD), varies for different sections, for example along curves or dif- St. ferent types of rolling Mount stock, like wagons or passenger coaches, he said.
“For the Chennai suburban train network, the SOD is 2.1351 metres. The structure at St Thomas Mount station was well beyond this distance. It was safe,” the official said. This means the entire body of each of the commuter including hands and their shoulder bags could have been outside the train during the run, causing them to get entangled with the fence.
Former chief operations manager of Southern Railway Abraham Jacob said there were safety clearances for larger structures that come near railway tracks, calling for a wholesome safety review.
A senior official echoed these views, stating that the railways designed coaches for regular travellers and not for a ‘dense crush load’ which would account for footboard travellers.
“It is time to review the safety clearances in the design on suburban sections,” he said.
TIMES VIEW
Accidents claiming lives of suburban train passengers travelling on footboard have been happening with alarming regularity. Besides increasing the number of tracks and frequency of trains to reduce rush, the railways should introduce doors in all trains.
While the new rakes have to be manufactured with automatic doors, the old ones can be retrofitted. It is a costly proposition, but nothing can be costlier than so many lives.
Indian Railways’s suburban network has been operating with a minimum ticket of ₹5 for 20km for several years. Instead of blaming on losses the suburban services make, the railways should increase fares and lobby for better budgetary allocation for urban mass transport.
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