Train passengers at Sambrial Railway Station have to face many problems such as shelter, clean drinking water and substandard food stuff.
Sambrial Railway Station is very important as thousands of passengers arrive, and depart from, this station. With the increasing population of the tehsil, the railway station has not been updated and lacks basic facilities. Most of these very old and dangerous buildings have not been repaired. There is also lack of clean drinking water as the water tank is not up to the mark. Venders offer substandard food items while their number is also insufficient.
Passengers, particularly women and children, are facing hardships during rains for lack of shelters at the railway station. It has been observed that during rains and hot season, the passengers have to face a great inconvenience while waiting for trains in the absence of any shed.
Almas Chaudhry, a working woman, said it was very difficult for females to wait for trains at a station having no sheds. The authorities concerned should build proper sheds and benches, she added. In addition, beggars and hawkers are allowed to operate in the local trains creating a security threat, besides creating problems for the passengers.
Regular passengers said many hawkers and beggars could be seen moving freely in the trains while no police official takes notice of it.
A passenger, Fazal Hussain, this carelessness on the part of railway officials could cause any terrorist incident in a train. Another passenger, Bilal, said he noted that more than 20 hawkers and beggars boarded a single train, travelling without ticket.
These beggars and hawkers enter the trains at Sambrial railway station where no security staff stops them, another passenger lamented. Poor sanitation shows how incapable the district government was, said Raza Shahid, a regular passenger. He added there was no concept of hygiene and cleanliness in the trains while the food was not fit to eat. “The meat they serve is cooked in water,” said Khalida Bibi.
“There are trash heaps and insects in the aisles. I have even seen men transporting goats in the main cabin,” said Abid Hussain. No water was available in the washrooms and bulbs and fans in almost all the bogies were out of order, said Tariq. When contacted, a spokesman for railway police said the staff checked the trains every month and FIRs were registered against unauthorised vendors.