The Hindu 20.09.2009
Commuters welcome EMU service with digital boards
Special Correspondent
| It gives details of the station’s name, where it is halting |
“Coaches have speakers so that commuters could hear information announced”
TAMBARAM: Commuters, who on Friday travelled by the brand new EMU rake fitted with Global Positioning System-based information display boards, in each of the nine compartments, welcomed the “user friendly” initiative of Southern Railway.
They wanted similar boards to be installed in all suburban and long distance trains as well. The Tambaram–Chennai Beach local (B 26) EMU left Tambaram station at 7.56 a.m on Friday, without any fanfare or flagging off ceremony.
It was for the first time that Southern Railway was introducing a suburban EMU with such information boards.
The boards give details about the approaching station, time and name of the station where it was halting.
It also carries messages of public importance. S. Deepa, a student, said she was impressed with the facility.
She hoped the Southern Railway would come up with more women commuter-friendly measures.
M. Preethi, an employee of a private firm, said the digital information boards were a boon to non-Tamil speaking commuters. However, she hoped that the boards would also display messages in Tamilfor the benefit of the majority travelling public.
Other commuters, initially unaware of the new facility until media persons pointed it out to them, said it was a welcome measure.
They urged Southern Railway to provide similar facilities in long distance trains as well, especially in air conditioned coaches, as those travelling in them had to strain to locate the name of the stations where the train halted.
Southern Railway staff in Tambaram told media persons that the coaches were also equipped with speakers so that commuters could hear any important information announced by the motorman or guard. However, they were yet to perfect them and hoped that it would start working in a few weeks.
