Plea to ensure platforms at railway stations like platforms at Metro stations

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Railway authorities to file a detailed report to the public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the authorities to take effective steps to provide platforms at railway stations like the platforms that were available at Metro stations to ensure safe and accessible boarding for senior citizens, differently abled persons and children.

A Division Bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and C. Kumarappan was hearing a petition filed by A. Jahangir Badusha of Madurai. The petitioner said at present the platforms at railway stations were not at the level of the coach entrances and passengers had to use train stairs to get in or exit. This has resulted in numerous accidents and even fatalities.

Many passengers have died without any actual train accidents. They either fell from the moving trains or fell into the gap between the trains and the platforms. The fatalities reflect a serious lapse in passenger safety mechanism by Indian Railways, he said.

In Metro stations, the platforms were at the level of the coach entrances. This ensured safe and easy boarding for all passengers. Reducing the gaps between the platforms and train coaches and increasing the height of the platforms to the level of the train coaches would prevent deaths, he said.

Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, funds were allocated to modernise railway stations. These funds could be used for this purpose as the welfare of the citizens is of paramount importance rather than luxury, the petitioner said. The court posted the matter for hearing to December 10.