CHENNAI: A 16-year-old student of an ITI college who travelled on the footboard of an overcrowded suburban train died after hitting an electric pole in the Pazhavanthangal-St Thomas Mount section. Though the accident took place on Friday, it was kept under wraps until the boy died on Saturday evening. The deceased was identified as K Jayachandran (16) from Sathya Nagar in Kovilampakkam.

On Friday, he was on his way to college in the Chengalpattu-Beach suburban train. He boarded at Pazhavanthangal around 9.30 am. As the coaches were crowded, he was said to be travelling on the footboard. When the train was passing the curve between Pazhavanthangal and St Thomas Mount, Jayachandran’s backpack hit the electric pole. In this impact, he fell on the tracks.

The passengers immediately pulled the chain and stopped the train. The injured boy, who was bleeding profusely, was rushed to the Government Royapettah Hospital, where he succumbed on Saturday evening.
Edward, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Government Railway Police, Egmore, said the boy seemed to be hanging on the footboard. “His backpack hit the pole due to which he fell. In spite of repeated warnings, many passengers including women choose to travel on the footboard. We have intensified the drive against footboard travellers,” he added. Railway officials could not be reached for comments.

In July last year, seven passengers who travelled on the footboard were killed after hitting the concrete wall at the St Thomas Mount station. Following this, the Southern Railway has withdrawn operation of fast trains in the Beach-Chengalpattu section.

RTI data obtained by Express revealed that the distance between centre of track and concrete wall at St Thomas Mount station was only 2.24 metres as against the mandated 2.36 metres. The data further revealed that there are 21 locations in the Chennai suburban routes where the distance between centre of tracks and permanent structure (electric pole, pillar of bridge and walls) was less than 2.36 metres.

The Chennai division has stated that they have identified infringement at 10 places in the Beach-Tambaram section, out of which seven are cleared.