'Free way' at M'lore rly station

It helps public, railways to carry goods to reach City

The Railway Department has constructed a suitable foot over bridge in the station for the convenience of the arriving passengers who are expected to cross the overbridge and depart from the main exit. Regrettably, most of the passengers don’t prefer to utilise the arrangement and rather find it more convenient to depart from the rear exit (back side) by crossing the railway tracks.

Despite the clear cut caution put up in the back entrance of the railway station instructing the passengers that “Crossing of railway track is punishable” and “Passengers are advised to use footpath/foot over bridge to go to platform No 1,” none of the passengers with heavy luggage in their hands abide by the caution.

Each arrival train literally causes substantial chaos outside the back exit as the autorickshaw and cab drivers park in the available congested space in a haphazard way.
Though passengers are warned of punishment for crossing the railway track, no passengers are imposed with the said punishment. In fact, there are no officials or railway police to check the passengers from passing through the barred exit.

One of the cab drivers Sundar A said that the Railway Department had installed barricades near the barred entry few weeks back. But for the department’s own convenience (like the transfer of goods), one of the iron rods was removed from there, thus re-opening the otherwise closed exit, he informed. “Either the railways has to completely close the exit or has to make the exit a convenient place to move. The surrounding place is filled with weeds, bushes and garbage items which actually causes nuisance in the rainy season,” informs Sundar.   

It is not only the railway passengers who exit through this way, but also railway employees and workers who cross all the three platforms through the train track and exit from the barred way.

Road blockage

Apart from the chaos caused in the exit place, another trouble aroused by it is the road blockage on Attavar road. The shortcut road that starts from the supposedly ‘blocked’ exit reaches the main road (Attavar road) causing traffic havoc. It is a common scene to find the autorickshaw drivers eagerly waiting in a queue on Attavar road, without any botheration, just to grab the passengers who come on the way. Adding to the problem, there is no traffic police in the junction for traffic management.

‘Another ticket centre likely’

Sources said that the department has plans to set up an additional ticket booking centre and build a proper platform near the second exit. There are talks on widening the congested road and make it a convenient place of exit.

Perhaps, if the talks  are made a reality, it would solve one of the clutter in the railway station.