CHENNAI: It was in November this year when I was walking on the platform of Annanur railway station that I saw a body crushed to pieces lie on the tracks. While people were cringing, some covering their eyes and noses and some puking at the sight of the body, I casually walked back home. It is not because I did not feel sorry for whoever died in the mishap, it was because I have been seeing such deaths at this railway station since my childhood,” said Kavitha Thirumugham, a resident of Annanur.
Located between the railway stations at Thirumullaivoyal and Avadi, the ‘not-so-popular’ Annanur suburban railway station witnesses deaths due to crossing railway tracks, almost once every month.
With an average of 20,000 commuters every day, the station is devoid of a foot-over-bridge (FOB) — the prime reason locals cite for the increasing death toll. According to Government Railway Police (GRP) records, 27 deaths were recorded in the Avadi section till May 2017, most of which occurred near Annanur railway tracks. The railway station is one of the five most accident-prone spots as per a recent study by Southern Railways.
“The only way a passenger can purchase a ticket is by jaywalking on the tracks. Because of the number of buildings around the station, the train is not visible till it is about 100 metres away from the station. Moreover, as Avadi-Annanur is a power-saving stretch, the lights in the train are switched off between the stretch. So during the night, most of the people walking on the tracks won’t be able to see the train till it gets very close,” said Kavitha.
The suburban station has four tracks and two platforms — a side platform and an island platform, and the latter houses the ticket counter.S Karunya, another resident of the area said women feel unsafe at night as a TASMAC is located on the street right next to the railway station. “Tipplers sit on the pavement and pass harsh comments. Police personnel are seldom seen at the station,” she said.
The FOB was partially constructed by the Central Railway around 10 years ago and the Southern Railway, which had to finish the project by connecting it to the road, has abandoned it due to lack of funds. Last year, the department had decided to construct the bridge, yet stopped the work in a month.
Repeated attempts to reach Southern Railways for their reaction, failed.
The station is a prime facility for many college students and industrial workers employed in Avadi, Ambattur, Villivakkam, Perambur and Chennai Central. Every day, on an average, around 260 trips are being made by suburban trains on the western rail route between Chennai Central and Arakkonam, which is the last suburban railway station on the western part of the city.
Prime facility
The station is a prime facility for many college students and industrial workers employed in Avadi, Ambattur, Villivakkam, Perambur and Chennai Central. Every day around 260 trips are being made by suburban trains between Chennai Central and Arakkonam