Guwahati, 12th June: The Assam Rail Passengers’ Association (ARPA) has highlighted numerous issues affecting train travelers in the state, urging the government to enhance safety and comfort for passengers. ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma emphasized the association’s repeated attempts to address these concerns with senior railway officials, noting that no substantial action has been taken.
Key Concerns Raised by ARPA:
- Frequent Train Cancellations: Local trains are often cancelled due to non-interlocking work related to network upgrades and doubling, severely disrupting commuters’ daily lives. Sharma suggested that the inconvenience could be minimized by conducting doubling work from one side to avoid patch doubling.
- Safety Issues on New Lines: Passengers at stations like Goalpara, Boko, Bamunigaon, Mirza, Dudhnoi, and Rangjuli have to disembark directly onto stones on the railway tracks, posing significant safety risks.
- Foot-Over Bridge (FoB) Facilities: Many FoBs lack ramps, making it difficult for senior citizens, parents with children, and passengers with heavy luggage to navigate staircases. Despite multiple requests, no improvements have been made.
- Non-Functional Escalators: Escalators at major stations are often non-operational for several hours a day, and many passengers are unfamiliar with their use.
- Lack of Power Backup: Most stations lack power backup, forcing passengers to use mobile torch lights during power outages.
- Insufficient Toilets: Toilets are primarily located on the first platform, causing inconvenience for passengers using other platforms.
- Inadequate Platform Sheds and Clean Drinking Water: Many platforms lack adequate shelter and access to clean drinking water.
Northeast Frontier Railway’s Response:
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De responded to the association’s concerns, explaining that doubling work on existing tracks is inherently done in patches. He justified the installation of escalators and lifts over ramps based on station footfall, asserting that major trains typically stop at Platform Number 1, making ramps or FoBs less critical for entry or exit. De acknowledged space constraints as a barrier to constructing toilets on other platforms but indicated that this issue might be addressed in the future.
The ARPA’s persistent advocacy highlights the need for substantial improvements in railway infrastructure and passenger amenities to ensure safer and more comfortable travel for commuters in Assam.