Commotion reigned supreme at Ernakulam Junction and Town railway stations on Sunday as commuters ran helter-skelter, seeking information on delayed running of trains, diversion and cancellation, following the derailment of the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru Express in the vicinity of Karukutty railway station near Angamaly.
While a few special trains operated between Ernakulam and southern districts, a large number of people who had reserved tickets thronged the stations to catch any train to their destinations.
The Ernakulam Area Manager of Southern Railway Rajesh Chandran said the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operated services from the railway stations, thereby clearing the rush of commuters to some extent. “Most of them wanted to reach their workplace on Monday, having availed leave or off during the weekend,” he said.
“Till 7 p.m. on Sunday, we operated 19 air-conditioned low-floor buses and 32 superfast and fast passenger special services from here to different districts,” said KSRTC Controlling Inspector Habeeb. The KSRTC main bus stand too saw more than the usual number of passengers.
The Railways deployed 65 hired vehicles to ferry commuters to the northern districts. It operated a total of 10 special trains to northern and southern districts.
Machinery
Newly-acquired heavy machinery units were deployed for track repair and restoration works at the accident site. This included Self Propelled Accident Relief Train (SPART) and a multi-functional crane. The seven rail fractures detected on the track post the mishap are being tended to.
‘Safety compromised’
Meanwhile, the All Kerala Railway Passengers’ Association has expressed concern at the lackadaisical attitude of the Railway towards ensuring passenger safety.
“There is shortage of personnel in many key wings. The Comptroller and Auditor General had cited how funds meant for rail safety were not being used for the purpose. Adherence to safety norms and global best practices would have prevented the accident that threw rail traffic haywire across Kerala, affecting thousands of passengers,” said Mathew Paul, the president of the association.
