ROURKELA: Rourkela railway station is a major revenue contributor for Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway (SER). But in terms of basic amenities, it lags far behind.
The station, which sees about 25,000 passengers daily, doesn’t have adequate escalators, especially for senior citizens and differently-abled, for moving luggage between the foot over bridge (FOB) and platforms. Rourkela, a Class A category station, continues to struggle for improved passenger amenities.
To start with, the upward moving escalator inaugurated at Platform 1 in April 2018 runs occasionally. Work for installation of a downward moving escalator at Platform 2 is underway, while there are no plan for escalators for the rest three platforms.
Social activist and general secretary of UDBHAV, a forum for integrated development and mass awareness, Ved Prakash Tiwari, said 10 days ago, he found the escalator not working. The station authorities told him that its operation has been regulated to stop its misuse, he said.
Tiwari said he was surprised to know that one has to request the personnel manning the adjacent Child helpline counter to run the escalator. A downward moving escalator at Platform 2 and lifts at platforms 1 and 2 are under construction. Ideally, all platforms should have up and down escalators along with user-friendly walking ramps and battery-operated platform cars for ailing and elderly passengers, he added.
Tiwari said the station has two FOBs for passengers on the eastern and western sides, but staircases of the western FOB connecting platform 2-3 are remaining closed for repair for months at a stretch.
The woes of passengers do not end here. In the blistering heat, there are no fans for the extended shed of Platform 2. The newly-constructed second entrance on northern end of the station is hardly used by passengers in the absence of adequate facilities.
Tiwari further pointed out that at times, the coach indicators fail to properly display coach position and the AC waiting hall urgently needs expansion because of manifold rise in number of AC class passengers.
Echoing similar views, State BJD secretary A C Mohanty said the station records about 25,000 footfalls daily with about 50 pairs of daily and weekly trains. Despite attempts, reaction of the SER authorities could not be obtained.