NALGONDA: The railway authorities have allegedly failed to live up to their claims “passenger safety is our priority”.
Sources said nine trains passing through the station Pushpal, Visakhapatnam, Narayanadri, Shabari, Palnadu, Chennai, Nagarsol, Shirdi, and Vande Bharat halt only for one minute, causing inconvenience to passengers.
It is reported that for the past few days, the Palnadu Superfast train, running from Guntur to Secunderabad, has been arriving at Platform-2 instead of Platform-1.
However, the railway app asks the passengers to wait for the train at Platform-1.
“Instead of announcing it early, the authorities change the platforms for trains only a few minutes before the arrival of the train,” a passenger named Veera Raju told TNIE, adding that as a result “the passengers cross the railway tracks during those moments, increasing the risk of potential tragedy.”
Another passenger, Niranjan, who is physically challenged, asked, “How could I cross the tracks, considering my disability?” He pointed out that officials claim there are wheelchairs available, but using them to reach the foot overbridges is not feasible.
Many passengers have requested that lifts for physically challenged persons, elderly and pregnant women be completed soon.
An official from Guntur Railway circle told TNIE that the station authorities concerned must announce any platform changes beforehand.
“I will direct Miryalaguda Railway officials to comply with this rule. Besides, as part of the modernisation of the Miryalaguda railway station, a lift will be installed and all these works will be completed by March 2025,” he said, claiming that the authorities are working to provide better facilities to the passengers.