Disabled man barred from boarding special coach in Tambaram, seeks action

Chennai: P Jeeva of Madurai district is a PWD rights activist who frequently travels to Chennai to avail of various benefits and government schemes. During one such visit on Wednesday, Jeeva claims to have undergone physical and mental trauma at Tambaram station while waiting for Anantapuri Express, a train from Egmore, Chennai bound to Trivandrum, Kerala.

Speaking to DT NEXT, Jeeva said, “As the train approached the Tambaram station at 8:40 pm, I saw one of the two SLRD coaches meant for persons with a disability closed. When I tried opening a coach, a guard present there informed me that I cannot board the coach.”

Jeeva says that despite showing the train ticket and the government identity card issued for PWDs, the guard refused to open the coach, thus forcing him to run and board the train in another compartment in the same train.

Explaining the ordeal further, Jeeva said, “Post boarding the train, I called the Railway Police Force (RPF) helpline to lodge a complaint. Acting on my complaint, an RPF personnel and a railway employee met me at Chengalpattu station and unlocked the SLRD coach.”

Though the SLRD coach was opened immediately, Jeeva claims that it was once again closed after the same guard intervened and informed the RPF personnel and employee that travellers are barred from traveling in the SLRD coach.

Meanwhile, Chennai division of Southern Railways in a press release confirmed the event and said after an investigation of the incident, disciplinary action has been initiated against the guard on duty.

Further, to ensure hassle-free travel for passengers with disabilities, the chief commercial inspectors and station masters of Chennai Central, Egmore, and Tambaram are instructed to ensure prompt opening of the disabled portion of SLRD coaches in trains, the railways said.

Southern Railways also confirmed that the operation of unreserved coaches in express trains has been restored in a phased manner, similar to the arrangement in the pre-COVID period. Currently, 120 SLRD coaches have been attached to the Mail and Express trains operated in Chennai Division, the railways added.