On the wrong track: With no foot overbridge, people risk their lives at Subrahmanya Road Railway Station in Dakshina Kannada

A resident of Nettana lost his leg and an arm after being run over by a locomotive during his attempt to cross the tracks

Residents of Nettana and surrounding villages in Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada district and pilgrims to temple town Kukke Subrahmanya are irked over the delay in completion of a foot over-bridge (FoB) at Subrahmanya Road Railway Station in Nettana.

The SBHR Railway Station on the Hassan-Mangaluru section of South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division is patronised by thousands of pilgrims visiting the famous Subrahmanya Temple in nearby Kukke. One pair of Bengaluru-Mangaluru day time express, two pairs of Bengaluru-Mangaluru overnight express, one pair of Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction overnight train and one pair of Bengaluru-Karwar express pass through Subrahmanya Road leading to heavy footfall at the station, which has two platforms.

Last week, one Naganna Gowda, an agriculturist from Nettana village, lost his leg and an arm after being run over by a locomotive while crossing from one platform to the other. According to eyewitnesses, one of his legs got stuck in between rails when the points were being set for change of track for the loco, and he could not move. Doctors told Mr. Gowda’s family that the severed parts could not be joined.

Residents and regular travellers said this was not the first such incident at the station and that similar incidents had happened in the past too. Mr. Gowda, in his late 50’s, has four daughters to take care of.

K.G. Prasad, President of Neethi Team of Nettana and 38 others in their memorandum to SWR and the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Bengaluru, on October 14 said the Hassan-Mangalore Railway Development Corporation (HMRDC) was not discharging its bounden duties towards passengers and was just keen just on movement of freight trains. Though the Railways had called tenders for construction of an FoB at Subrahmanya Road Station in 2019 and issued the work order, there was no progress, the signatories of the petition lamented.

Sudarshan Puttur, Convener of Kukke Shree Subrahmanya-Mangaluru Railway Commuters Forum, lamented the apathy of the Railways towards the safety of passengers. It was painful and risky to jump down to the tracks from one platform and climb onto the other, particularly for elderly passengers, he said.

Patrons have cautioned a massive agitation if the Railways fails to ensure passenger safety at Subrahmanya Road Station.