Woman Hits Pillar, Falls From Train’s Footboard | Chennai News – Times of India

CHENNAI: A woman travelling on the footboard of a Tambaram-Beach suburban train fell and suffered injuries after she hit a pillar close to the newly-built double discharge platform at Guindy railway station on Monday.
The incident happened at 8.50am. A disaster was averted as the train had just started moving after its halt at the station. The pillar that supports a foot overbridge is too close to the exit door of the ladies coach of suburban trains, causing inconvenience for commuters, an eye-witness said.
R Baskar, a frequent commuter, said that there was a huge crowd at the platform after the woman was rescued. “The pillar of the foot overbridge has been there for years but has started to pose a risk to commuters after a platform was built to help commuters get down and board from both sides of the train,” he added.
He said that the railways should speed up construction of a new foot overbridge and should remove the old one.
N Karthik, another commuter, said such issues were there on other stations where double discharge platforms are built. “The railways should have taken measures to ensure commuter safety,” he added.
Southern Railway Chennai division public relations officer A Elumalai said that the pillar is well within the permissible space mandated from the train.
Railway officials are now considering changing the stopping point for trains so that doors of the coaches will not come near the pillars on the platform. There are also plans to paint the pillars in black and yellow so that commuters will be able to notice it.