Men often travel in ladies’ compartments on EMUs
The EMUs between Tambaram and Chennai Beach, 3 trains were found with male passengers in ladies coaches. Though some passengers pointed it out to them, the men didn't budge.
Men travelling in a ladies’ compartment on an EMU
CHENNAI: Ticket-holders for unreserved compartment travelling in the reserved bogies made headlines recently, which prompted the Railway Protection Force to conduct a drive against such errant passengers. But it hasn't made an impact on the local electrical multiple units (suburban) trains.
In Chennai, there are coaches allotted only for women, and unsurprisingly, men are often found travelling in them.
According to informed sources, most of the women coaches are at times encroached by youngsters coming from other states.
“On Monday, while I was travelling from Mambalam to Chengalpattu, a male passenger who behaved like a person with mental disabilities got into the ladies’ coach in the train and was trying to remove the clothes. Passengers shouted at him in fear and asked him to move out, but he was hesitant. My kid was shocked to see him and I had to move to the general coach for safety,” said S Maheswari, a commuter.
When DT Next travelled through the EMUs between Tambaram and Chennai Beach, 3 trains were found with male passengers in ladies coaches. Though some passengers pointed it out to them, the men didn't budge.
“Around noon, a man got into the ladies’ compartment. At that time, it wasn't very crowded. We were scared, as the man kept staring at us and was completely brazen about it,” recalled Aishwarya Subramanian, a resident of Nanganallur.
When contacted, an official attached to the Southern Railway explained, “Usually the RPF officials inspect the trains regularly after 6 pm, and also during the day at stations. The issue would be addressed to them, and necessary action would be taken.”
