Poor Maintenance Compromises Safety, Say Passengers
V Ayyappan |TNN
Dec 4, 2009:
Chennai: The number of commuters travelling by suburban trains may be going up, but amenities inside coaches have not kept pace with the popularity of trains.
Poor maintenance in terms of repairing damaged fixtures inside coaches is hampering Southern Railway’s efforts to improve and provide modern amenities inside electrical multiple unit (EMU) trains that are operated in the three suburban sectors - Chennai-Tambaram-Chengalpet, Chennai-Arakonam and Chennai-Gummidipoondi.
Regular commuters complain that damaged fixtures and dirty coaches make travelling an unpleasant as well as unsafe experience. Though the railways recently introduced stainless steel coaches, many fixtures inside coaches such as the window grille, interior side-panel and handhold are damaged. The condition of some of the old coaches are very bad.
“The interiors of most of the trains are dirty. The handholds are worn out in almost all trains. The coaches of EMU trains that are operated in the Arakonam and Gummidipoondi sectors are in bad condition; the trains in the Tambaram sector are better off,” says P Loganathan, a commuter.
Most commuters are appalled at the poor maintenance and lack of cleanliness on trains. Says Sadagopan, a commuter: “The window grille of a coach of the Chennai-Tiruvallur EMU that departed from the Moore Market Complex (MMC) recently at 9.40pm was damaged. There was no grille and the broken portion was protruding. A commuter was dozing by the window seat. We had to wake him up to prevent him getting injured.”
“I have never seen workers cleaning the trains though I have been using the service daily the past five years,” said C Raman.
A senior railway official said that suburban trains were maintained at the Avadi and Tambaram yards. Trains are checked to find if they are fit for operation. But damaged fixtures were repaired only when the trains are sent for periodic overhaul. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), currently manufacturing coaches for the Mumbai suburban network, has perfected a design based on commuter feedback. The design would be incorporated in coaches of other EMUs too, an ICF official said.
Everyday, Southern Railway operates around 232 services in the Arakonam-Tiruvallur sector and 82 services in the Gummidipoondi sector.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com
V Ayyappan |TNN
Dec 4, 2009:
Chennai: The number of commuters travelling by suburban trains may be going up, but amenities inside coaches have not kept pace with the popularity of trains.
Poor maintenance in terms of repairing damaged fixtures inside coaches is hampering Southern Railway’s efforts to improve and provide modern amenities inside electrical multiple unit (EMU) trains that are operated in the three suburban sectors - Chennai-Tambaram-Chengalpet, Chennai-Arakonam and Chennai-Gummidipoondi.
Regular commuters complain that damaged fixtures and dirty coaches make travelling an unpleasant as well as unsafe experience. Though the railways recently introduced stainless steel coaches, many fixtures inside coaches such as the window grille, interior side-panel and handhold are damaged. The condition of some of the old coaches are very bad.
“The interiors of most of the trains are dirty. The handholds are worn out in almost all trains. The coaches of EMU trains that are operated in the Arakonam and Gummidipoondi sectors are in bad condition; the trains in the Tambaram sector are better off,” says P Loganathan, a commuter.
Most commuters are appalled at the poor maintenance and lack of cleanliness on trains. Says Sadagopan, a commuter: “The window grille of a coach of the Chennai-Tiruvallur EMU that departed from the Moore Market Complex (MMC) recently at 9.40pm was damaged. There was no grille and the broken portion was protruding. A commuter was dozing by the window seat. We had to wake him up to prevent him getting injured.”
“I have never seen workers cleaning the trains though I have been using the service daily the past five years,” said C Raman.
A senior railway official said that suburban trains were maintained at the Avadi and Tambaram yards. Trains are checked to find if they are fit for operation. But damaged fixtures were repaired only when the trains are sent for periodic overhaul. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), currently manufacturing coaches for the Mumbai suburban network, has perfected a design based on commuter feedback. The design would be incorporated in coaches of other EMUs too, an ICF official said.
Everyday, Southern Railway operates around 232 services in the Arakonam-Tiruvallur sector and 82 services in the Gummidipoondi sector.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com
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