This train has to stop at 35 crossings to close, open gates

TRICHY: Quirky are the ways of Indian Railways at a time when it is on course to herald high-speed bullet trains into the country. Imagine a train coming to a halt before every level crossing and a railway employee getting down to close the open gate through which vehicles have been plying. Within seconds, he hops back onto the train which has started moving only to halt a few metres after crossing the gate. Meanwhile, another staffer jumps from the rear compartment to operate the lever of the bar again, this time to open the gate for traffic.
Believe it or not, this exercise is repeated at 34 more ‘manned’ level crossings for the lone train on the recently-opened Karaikudi – Pattukottai broadgauge section of Trichy division. The result: The DEMU (diesel electrical multiple unit) train which began chugging along the route from July 2 has been covering the 72kms in 3 hours 20 minutes. Indeed, the railways had forewarned that it would take 6 hours 30 minutes to cover the stretch one way, but had managed to run faster!

When the Trichy railway division resumed services on the newly converted broadgauge line after nearly six years, passengers had heaved a sigh of relief. However, many said they never expected to suffer an ordeal of this kind on a train journey. According to sources, the train carries two ‘travelling’ gatemen, one in the first compartment and another in the last compartment, to get down before and after the train passes a gate and again board the train. The procedure is followed at all the 35 unmanned gates, they said. The train which started its operation on July 2 has seven stoppages such as Kandanur Puduvayal, Periyakottai, Valarmanikkam, Aranthangi, Ayingudi, Peravurani and Ottankadu.

“As the train stops at all the level crossings apart from the seven stations, the travel becomes a real test of nerves. Obviously, it takes more time to reach our destination”, said K Parthasarathy, a native of Pattukottai in Thanjavur district.

The biweekly passenger train is being operated on Monday and Thursday for three months on an experimental basis. It starts at Karaikudi at 9.45 am and reaches Pattukottai at 1 pm. In the return direction, the train departs from Pattukottai at 1.30 pm and reaches Karaikudi at 4.50 pm or 3 hours 20 minutes to cover the 72 kms. Commuters say that the method adopted by the railway authorities for manning the level crossings was dangerous and one jeopardising the safety of passengers and road users.

The railway authorities have blamed manpower shortage for not posting gatemen to man the 35 level crossings on the stretch. These level crossings were manned by gatekeepers when it was a meter gauge section. However, as part of the railway’s “austerity drive”, it has apparently decided not to post personnel in the broadgauge line. When contacted, the divisional railway manager, UK Reddy told TOI that this system of manning level crossings by travelling gatemen was in vogue wherever only a few trains were in operation. A few gates could have been given gatemen, but posting them at 35 gates was too much. He denied that any safety norms were violated.

“We are going to have a similar system in Cuddalore section also. Pattukottai – Karaikudi section has 35 level crossings. But the 58-kilometre-long Cuddalore – Virudachalam section has 62 level crossings. If they are unmanned, there won’t be any problem. Since all of them are manned, we have to adopt this kind of system. People also want only level crossings, not subways. That is the problem”, he further stated.

CONVERSION SCHEDULE

The Karaikudi - Pattukottai stretch is part of the nearly 185-km-long Mayiladuthurai - Karaikudi gauge conversion project covering Tiruvarur, Pattukottai, Tiruthuraipoondi, Peravurani and Aranthangi. The stations fall under the districts of Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Pudukottai

The stretch from Mayiladuthurai to Tiruvarur has already been completed and services have begun

With Karaikudi - Pattukottai stretch completed, what remains is Tiruvarur - Pattukottai

Work is being executed at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore