Commissioner of Railway Safety K.A. Manoharan will convene a public hearing on July 30 on the train accident at the St. Thomas Mount railway station that left four passengers dead and six injured on Tuesday.
Taking to reporters after inspecting the scene of the accident, Mr. Manoharan said that officials, the police, passengers and members of the general public who either witnessed the incident or had knowledge about it could give evidence at the hearing at the office of the Divisional Railway Manager here. The Commissioner of Railway Safety is conducting an enquiry into the circumstances that led to the accident. Mr. Manoharan visited the spot around 10 a.m with other senior railway officials. He said that footboard travel was not allowed in trains.
Responding to a question on having coaches similar to those in the Metro, he said that it could be a possibility in the future. Rohit Nathan, superintendent of police, Government Railway Police, said that the drive against footboard travel will be intensified. “We will be booking more cases to ensure that the practice is curbed,” he said.
Rakesh Bansali, member, Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee, said that an inspector undertook a study of the platform and measured the distance between the track and the fence. The police have identified the fourth victim. He is Velmurugan from Ananthapuram in Villupuram district.