Mangalore junction lacks ATM, kiosks, basic facilities

MANGALORE: As many as 24 trains pass through Mangalore junction which connects Kerala and North India, but the station woefully lacks basic passenger amenities. The station receives about 12-15 passenger complaints every month, and the need for a retiring room and a cloakroom tops the list. The station has a waiting room with defunct toilets. "In case the train is delayed and passengers want to roam the town, they can't step out of the station without luggage so as there's no cloakroom. If the station has a retiring room, then passengers with a long layover can put their feet up there. The railway authorities can integrate cloakroom and retiring rooms, eliminating the need for an extra person to man the sections,'' Ranjith, a passenger, said. Another major problem is the non-availability of food during night. The station receives over 50% of the trains in the 11pm-6am window. The station's two canteens don't function late night. Touch-screen kiosks, where passengers check the status of train and ticket, are missing. "The station had three such kiosks last year, and they were carted away for repair. They haven't returned yet,'' said Rajesh Kunder, honorary president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike. He said the station doesn't have an ATM. Sunder, an autorickshaw driver, said: "The toilets were blocked due to lack of maintenance on five of the past seven days. It was distressing, particularly for women passengers." Kunder observed that the toilets were pay and use earlier, and problems arose after the maintenance contract expired. The distance from the city to the station is about 8km, and there aren't dedicated transport services to commute this distance. Allegations abound that autorickshaw drivers charge passengers exorbitantly in the absence of a prepaid counter. But the drivers insisted that 24 three-wheelers are permanently stationed there for passengers' comfort. "We charge Rs 150 to the city, which is same as the prepaid fare. Some drivers from the city do charge more,'' Sunder said. The prepaid autorickshaw counter is yet to kick into operation. -TOI