Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Feb 24: Although Konkan Railway Corporation is not facing the cash crunch it used to suffer from in the past, Senapur railway station in the taluk, which was set up 17 years ago, is yet to get any notable facilities. This station is deprived of minimum infrastructure. The situation at the station is such that passengers are forced to stand near the railway tracks for boarding their trains.

The fact that neither the department nor the people's representatives have showed any concern about the suffering railway passengers has angered them.

The department set up a station at Senapur in 1998. Reaching this station itself poses a daunting task as one has to negotiate mud road and wretched road stretches to reach this station, which is located far away from the national highway.

Konkan Railway has been progressing fast financially. With the increase in number of trains running on the routes, and many trains having a stop at Kundapur, people here have begun using train as a means of travel more and more. However, Senapur station continues to be neglected. The first one km mud road from the station needs immediate attention and repairs. As no buses ply to this station, and auto rickshaws charge exorbitantly, the passengers are compelled to shell out more money for auto rickshaws that the railway fare itself. Lack of drinking water and other shops in the station pose problems for people who become tired by the time they reach the station.

When passenger trains move towards Mangaluru from Byndoor and express trains wait for crossing, the passengers are compelled to wait for and board the trains by standing on the railway tracks. Old aged people, women, and weak persons find it very hard to stand on tracks and get into the trains. Even after 17 years, this railway station is deprived of a foot overbridge, as a result of which people have no other go but to cross the tracks to reach the other side.

As of now, six trains stop at Senapur. It is tragic that the passengers have no foot overbridge to reach the other side safely. This is a blot on this station, which also suffers from other problems.

A commuter named Surendra observes that this station does not have a proper approach road. He also laments that the railways have not taken care to provide foot overbridge for the sake of passengers who badly need it for safe and convenient crossing to the other side.