A railway station only in name

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, August 10

The Mubarikpur railway station, commonly known as the Ghaggar railway station, near here is in a sorry state of affairs. There is nothing in the name of facilities for passengers.

Hundreds of passengers, who visit the Ghaggar railway station daily, have to go without drinking water and proper seating arrangements.

The station does not even have toilets, causing inconvenience to women passengers. People who come from different areas to catch the train suffer a lot as the station lacks basic facilities such as drinking water, washrooms and waiting hall.

On an average, the railway station daily witnesses a footfall of 300 passengers, including labourers and office-goers. Most of them carry mineral water bottles with them while others drink contaminated water being dispensed by the plastic water storage tank kept on the platform.

According to railway sources, the Mubarikpur railway station was built in 1885. However, in the past 132 years, there has been no improvement at the station.

Leave aside basic amenities, the railway station does not even have an enquiry counter. In the absence of a public address system, passengers and daily-goers are often confused over the timings of arrival/departure of trains. As a result, they are left with no other option but to collect information from the Station Master, who single-handedly manages the affairs at the railway station.

One of the railway police staff, on condition of anonymity, said there was no enquiry staff at the station. The Station Master could not answer hundreds of queries as he had to be seated in his cabin during the peak hours.

According to sources at the railway station, eight passenger trains halt here daily. Security at the station too remains a major concern. There is a no one to check baggages of passengers. Some of the passengers complained that in the absence of proper lighting, dark spaces are sometimes used by anti-social elements.

One of the daily passengers said, “While the railway authorities have envisaged several developments, including Wi-Fi and bio-toilet facilities, to modernise railway stations, it is a shame that decades-old Ghaggar railway station does not even have a refreshment stall to provide drinking water”.

“The station is in dire need of a facelift. Overhead shed does not cover the entire stretch of the platform. Whenever it rains, passengers are invariably drenched,” said Amarjeet, a passenger.

The commuters have demanded that fencing should be done around the railway track as schoolchildren and residents cross the track, putting their lives to risk. Barriers should be installed to prevent stray animals from crossing the track.

Sanjeev K Singh, Station Master at the Ghaggar railway station, said: “Makeshift toilets were made some time ago, but it had not solved the purpose. The toilets have been built, but these have been lying unused as double-laning work of the track is in progress. Plans are afoot to provide basic amenities at the earliest”.

Major worries

• Drinking water: Visited by 300 passengers daily, the railway station lacks drinking water facility. Most of them carry mineral water bottles with them while others drink contaminated water from the plastic water storage tank on the platform.
• No toilet: The railway station does not even have toilets, causing inconvenience to women passengers.
• Staff shortage: In the absence of a public address system, passengers are left with no other option but to collect information from the Station Master, who single-handedly manages the affairs at the railway station.
• Security loopholes:  There is a no one to check baggages of passengers.  Dark spaces are sometimes used by anti-social elements.