Bring back announcements at Chennai Central Station, say disability groups

Southern Railway’s move to make the busy terminal ‘silent’ draws loud protests

The Southern Railway’s initiative to turn Dr. MGR Ramachandran Central Railway Station into a ‘silent’ railway station by turning off audio including the public announcement system has failed to impress a section of the public.

Three groups (if not more) that work for the welfare of the differently-abled have written to the Southern Railway to “bring back the announcements”.

On March 1, Tamilnadu Association for the Rights of all Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers made a representation to the General Manager, Southern Railway to restore the ‘audio announcement system’ at Chennai Central Station. The Association labelled the new arrangement a hostile step by the Railway to silence the rights of the disabled.

The Rights of the Persons with Disabilities Act-2016 mandates that the railways make all the stations accessible to persons with disabilities, and this accessibility includes creating provisions for making audio and video announcements, the note reads.

Members of December 3 Movement, a collective voice for persons with disabilities, have said the decision lacked “logic”.

A letter signed by TMN Deepak, state president, says when accessible announcements are denied it automatically confers and qualifies for commission of discrimination on persons with disabilities.

Professor K Raghuraman representing Tamil Nadu State Advisory Board for the Differently Abled met the Divisional Railway Manager on March 1 to hand over the association’s grievance.

Railway has said efforts are being made to ensure all visual display boards are in working condition and to deploy sufficient staff at inquiry booths.

Raghuraman, a visually-challenged faculty, says going to the booth and asking for help will have its own challenges. “When there is an announcement system it gives me a sense of confidence about being on my own,” he says.

The station has installed Braille navigation maps and QR codes have also been pasted for persons with disabilities to access a sign language video that provides an overview of the station. “But a majority of the disabled passengers do not have smartphones and hence will be left to the mercy of other passengers to track information,” says the note from Tamilnadu Association for the Rights of all Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers.

According to a Southern Railway official, the ‘silent’ station is only being tried on an experimental basis for a minimum period of three months. The department has welcomed feedback and will take a call on whether to continue with the arrangement based on the response, the official adds.