TIRUCHY: Travelling on the high-tech Tejas Express running between Chennai and Madurai can often lead to surprises for passengers. The train’s advanced sensors can detect the slightest bit of smoke and then come to halt in two or three minutes. Sources said the Chennai-Madurai Tejas Express has twice reported such a situation, which led to panic among passengers as Railways has nor provided guidelines on how to react to such events.
Sources said the latest incident happened when a passenger tried to smoke inside a toilet. “Smoking inside the train is a serious offence, but if someone lights up in the Tejas Express, the sensor would immediately detect it. The alarm would start ringing and the train would stop. The Chennai- Madurai Tejas recently reported such a situation and railway employees found cigarette butts in a toilet,” a source said.
But, even after these incidents, Railways top brass have failed to address the problem. “Currently, Indian Railways has four Tejas Express trains (Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express, Amritsar-New Delhi Tejas Express, Mumbai CSMT-Karmali Tejas Express and Chennai Egmore-Madurai Tejas Express). The majority of passengers are not familiar with the sophisticated features of this train. Railways has to give directions to Tejas passengers on what has to be done in emergency situations. This is the only way to prevent passengers from panicking,”an Integral Coach Factory (ICF) employee said. ICF has manufactured the Tejas Express coaches.
Travel sector stakeholders have suggested Railways can play an emergency instruction video on the entertainment system of the train, as happens with airlines. An entertainment system monitor is available behind each seat. “There are only four stoppages for the Chennai-Madurai Tejas Express. Before the train resumes its journey from each stop, the instruction video should be played. It would provide directions on what a passenger needs to do in emergencies,” said SA Mubashir, joint secretary, Tiruchy Tourism Federation.