Passengers have nothing but grievances at Attipattu rly station

Sans bus connectivity, residents of Attipattu have to solely depend on trains for public transport. But the frequency of trains has also let them down. They also complain about safety issues due to lack of RPF officers.

Adding to the woes, the public announcement system, which is mandatory for any railway station, is inoperative. “We used to have one bus coming to Attipattu from Broadway and going back there. But since 2016, the service was stopped. Now, we have to take a train to Ennore and board a bus from either Ennore depot or Minjur to reach our destination.” Guruswamy M, a resident of Attipattu, said. He added that they are forced to wait for at least more than an hour for a train to arrive. The wait time can come down to 30-45 minutes during peak hours, he said. “No announcements are made even when there is a delay in the train. Passengers have to ask the station master to know any update on the train schedule,” he said.

Additionally, the station does not have a garbage bin on its premises. This is leading to the public littering the whole place. Passengers also pointed out that the digital clock in the station is not working and there is no parking facility there.

Though there is an RPF personnel posted at the station, they do not visit the station often. “There is a Tasmac outlet near the station and miscreants under the influence of alcohol often create nuisance at the station. There is a definite lack of safety for the passengers. Whenever we complain to the station master, he says that RPF personnel will reach within a few minutes. But they don’t ever come. It seems like they are not bothered about public safety,” said Kasthuri Bhai, a passenger.

Passengers also complained that there is no proper route to enter the station. The public should walk through a market to reach the station. Adding to that, there are many vehicles parked near the station during peak hours and makes it very difficult to enter the facility.

The toilets for men and women are not in use and locked through the day. Besides, there is no water facility in the station and it is also not disabled-friendly. Differently-abled passengers have to struggle to enter the station by crossing the track or use the stairs to reach the platform.

Speaking to DT Next, Attipattu station master said, “There is no schedule for the arrival of trains and so we cannot make the announcement. If any crime is reported in the station, we inform the RPF. Otherwise, they come once a month at night.”