Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, June 12: Commuters on Banihal-Baramulla railway are worried for their safety due to broken seats and glass panels.
The railways are facing harsh criticism from commuters who claim that neither passenger comfort nor safety is given first priority. They complain that the Railways consistently fail to solve maintenance concerns as soon as they arise, resulting in the majority of coaches having inadequate maintenance.
Examples of persistent issues that passengers encounter include broken seats, cracked glass panes, and non-working emergency chains. The commuters consider the Railway authority directly responsible for degrading their overall commute experience due to their failure to perform necessary maintenance.
Commuters have complained to the appropriate department on numerous occasions about inadequate maintenance but to no avail. A frustrated commuter, Bashir Ahmad, lamented that the majority of the coaches are poorly maintained.
“Several coaches had shattered windows, backless seats, and malfunctioning emergency chains. A Railway official was contacted about the condition, but he disregarded it because it was common,” he said.
Regular commuter and student Abid Rashid expressed a similar sentiment: “I usually take the train, and the circumstances stay the same. The Railways Department needs to address a number of problems, not just the window glasses, he added.
The broken seats and windows in the coaches have also been linked to health problems claimed by passengers, particularly women and elderly people. Mohammad Jabar, a commuter, described how uncomfortable he found the seats to be, saying, “A seat without a backrest is useless for me, and whenever I sit on such seats, I have agony in my back and joints. The trip is unpleasant during rush hour,” he said.
Another concerned commuter, Umar Mushtaq highlighted the risks posed by the damaged windows and seats, saying “A half-damaged window glass frame can break anytime and hit a passenger. It might be fatal, especially if the train is traveling fast,” he said.
He also criticized the Railway authority’s short-term solutions, which comprised covering the broken glass with shoddy cardboard sheets. “The cardboard sheets can shatter at any time because they are just lightly fastened to the frame. Although nothing has been done thus far,” he said
Saqib Ahmad, the Chief Area Manager in Srinagar, did not respond to this reporter’s multiple calls and texts.
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