Height hurdle for Vande Bharat trains at key stations

Kochi: Vande Bharat Express has redefined rail travel with its sleek design, high speed and premium amenities. However, for many passengers, especially senior citizens and those with mobility issues, a significant mismatch in the train's floor height and the platform level at stations is sparking urgent calls for modern boarding solutions.Though modern coaches have centrally operated automatic plug doors equipped with sliding, retractable footsteps, the height difference at many stations is causing an inconvenience. At Ernakulam South, where platform heights vary, boarding the train and alighting can be daunting."The height difference poses a major issue for senior citizens, people with disabilities and those hauling heavy luggage. It is a physical barrier that compromises the premium experience the train promises," rued Sathi Devi, a senior citizen who arrived at Ernakulam from Thiruvananthapuram.The train halts only for a few minutes, and there will be many commuters to board and alight the train. So, alighting quickly will be a challenge for senior citizens, she said.Senior citizens often find themselves dependent on the physical strength of co-passengers or relatives just to board or alight. Except platform 1, which has normal height, all other platforms have the "height issue" at Ernakulam South."Ernakulam Junction railway station (South) is one of the key stations in the state. The height is an issue on all platforms. Another long-pending problem is that only two platforms there have the length to cater to 22 LBH or 24 ICF coach trains. The authorities should take measures to fix the issue," said P Krishnakumar, member, Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee.When contacted, a senior railway official said, Southern Railway is taking ‘step-by-step' measures to increase platform height. "The work for increasing the height of platforms 2 and 3 has been sanctioned and will be carried out shortly. We can't implement it at one go as it means diversion and delay of a number of trains. The height of other platforms too will be increased later," the official added.