When IRCTC risks lives of pilgrims

Ongole(Prakasam District): In every station, the railways try to create awareness among passengers not to cross tracks and not to go through the gaps of goods trains. However, this incident in Ongole exposed how the officials themselves violate the safety norms and risk the lives of hundreds of old aged people.

A special train, run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation with full of old-aged passengers from north India, had reached Ongole around 9 am on Monday. These passengers on a pilgrimage to Srisailam have travel by bus from Ongole railway station. The IRCTC officials, who should be coordinated with the local railway officials, didn't inform the station master about the arrangements or required facilities, but brought the train on platform number 2.

The officials told the old-aged passengers to jump off the platform, cross the tracks and go through the gaps and beneath goods train rakes to board 16 APSRTC buses arranged on the other side of the railway station.

Some of the passengers suffered pain and expressed anger over the IRCTC staff, what happens to them if a train comes onto the third platform. Then the staff directed them to a narrow passage made by splitting goods rakes.

Meanwhile, local railway officials also objected to the IRCTC staff for bringing the RTC buses to the other side of the station, where the rakes will be filled with exporting goods and obstructing the process. Station Master Yesudanam said that they didn't give any permission to the IRCTC staff to bring buses on the side of the goods train. He said that the empty train was shifted to Tettu for halting, and it would continue to the next stoppage once the pilgrims return from Srisailam.