Trichy: Train users have demanded that a dedicated person be posted at the escalator on platforms two and three at the Trichy railway junction, as senior citizens and women find it difficult to use the facility, especially when carrying luggage.According to sources, at least one elderly person is treated at the emergency medical centre every day as they sustain injuries while using the escalator. Since there are no staff members present near the facility, the elderly who arrive with their luggage are not familiar with the facility and often lose balance while using the escalator, commuters said. This has forced many senior citizens to use the stairs instead, they further said.The escalator established to enable passengers to easily reach platform two and three, was a long pending demand of commuters, particularly senior citizens, women and children as they found it difficult to use the steps and walk through the subway and climb the stairs with their belongings.The project was executed under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) after Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva recommended a sum of Rs91 lakh for establishing the facility. The then Union minister for railways, Suresh Prabhu, inaugurated the facility through video conferencing from Chennai on February 7, 2016.“If there was a dedicated staff member to help passengers who have difficulty, we can avert any untoward incidents,” said general secretary of Train Traveller’s Association M Lourduraj.When contacted, a senior official from Trichy Railway division said that the process was on to appoint a dedicated contract operator within a week. So, there will not be any such incidents in future, he assured.

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