Paan, khaini stains and damaged facilities plague Daltonganj railway station, officials raise concern
Daltonganj, July 9: Railway authorities at Daltonganj railway station have expressed concern over the repeated misuse and damage of passenger amenities, including…
Daltonganj, July 9: Railway authorities at Daltonganj railway station have expressed concern over the repeated misuse and damage of passenger amenities, including lifts, wheelchairs and waiting room facilities, despite the station being one of the highest revenue earners under the Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway.
Officials said wheelchairs provided for passengers with mobility issues are often abandoned on platforms after use instead of being returned to designated locations.
The condition of the station’s two passenger lifts has also become a matter of concern, with users frequently spitting paan and khaini inside them.
Complaints over unhygienic lifts
According to railway officials, paan and khaini stains are found on lift floors and even on the lift buttons, making the facilities unhygienic for passengers.
Daltonganj railway station superintendent Umesh Kumar said, “Spit and filth are left in the lifts. People even spit on the floor buttons. Passengers dislike it, and we receive complaints.”
When asked who was responsible, he said, “It is mostly vagabonds who spend day and night loitering around the railway platform.”
Damage to waiting room facilities
Officials also reported repeated damage to the door closer of the station’s first-class AC waiting room.
According to railway authorities, the damaged door prevents the room from remaining properly air-conditioned, reducing passenger comfort.
“We are deeply concerned about the repeated damage to the AC waiting room door closer. Again, it is caused by passengers without any sense of guilt,” Umesh Kumar said.
Railway sources added that water tap knobs are also frequently twisted or rendered non-functional.
RPF points to misuse of lifts
An RPF personnel, requesting anonymity, said the lifts were often misused by groups of students travelling to Daltonganj from nearby stations to attend colleges and coaching institutes.
“The misuse of lifts is mostly by groups of students who travel to Daltonganj railway station by passenger and express trains from four or five stations on either side to attend coaching classes or colleges. Some of them indulge in such irresponsible behaviour to impress their classmates,” the official said.
The official added, “These boys and girls use the lifts as a place to express their infatuation or affection for each other.”
Unsafe track crossing
Railway authorities also expressed concern over passengers crossing railway tracks instead of using the foot overbridge.
Daltonganj station has three railway lines — the up line, down line and a reversible line — with train movement taking place throughout the day.
Despite the availability of a foot overbridge, some passengers continue to cross the tracks to move between platforms, officials said.
Asked why such incidents continued despite the presence of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Umesh Kumar said, “These law enforcement agencies do take action. However, Daltonganj is a high-footfall railway station with commercial importance, and passenger movement remains heavy round the clock.”
Daltonganj railway station is classified as a Non-Suburban Grade-4 (NSG-4) station under the Indian Railways. Officials said passengers frequently raise complaints about the condition of station facilities on social media, tagging railway authorities in Dhanbad and New Delhi.
