RPF withdrawn as trains run on time in Arakkonam

It may be recalled that a few days ago, a group of commuters blocked the Thiruvananthapuram Express protesting the late arrival of a Tiruttani-bound EMU to Arakkonam. As a result, several Chennai-bound trains were halted in wayside stations. 

The Tiruttani-bound train had arrived 40 minutes late around 10 pm on that day. Thereafter, six commuters were arrested for blocking Thiruvananthapuram Express and cases were registered against several others in this connection. 

Following the incident, armed RPF personnel were posted on various platforms to prevent recurrence of such wildcat agitations. As the Chennai-bound EMUs departed at 7.10 am as per schedule, the situation at Arakkonam became normal and the commuters expressed satisfaction. Following this, the armed RPF personnel posted at the station were withdrawn. 

The sudden deployment of armed RPF personnel drew all-round condemnation and many wondered as to why the Southern Railway had to resort to this step instead of ensuring that the trains were operated without any delay. 

Railway sources revealed that problems had occurred as the contractor hired to extend platforms did not complete the work according to the schedule. This forced the trains to stop at outer signals, especially at night. Passengers who were unable to catch the buses to their destinations got irked and resorted to sudden protests on the track.