Unauthorised multiple entrances, as many as seven, are posing a security threat to the North railway station.
It’s literally a cake walk for anyone to make an unauthorized entry into the station as cops find it difficult to man the premises and pitch for immediate closing of all entry points other than the sanctioned ones.
The gravity of the situation could be assessed by taking stock of the number of petty cases being registered by the RPF (Railway Protection Force) alone.
These include cases against ticketless entry, baggage and other thefts and the anti-social behavior of drunkards.
While a total of 156 cases were recorded so far this month, Monday alone saw 58 cases being heard by the railway tribunal during its sitting there.
“There are at least seven entries to the station. Some have been made by breaking portions of the wall. Due to staff shortage, we’re able to deploy personnel only at the main entry points.
Besides, one can see that the walls are too short towards the ESI Hospital where in the past, there were instances of criminals scaling it and escaping”, a security official said.
The area around the station, particularly SRM Road, is a hub of petty criminals who create trouble for passengers by entering the premises of the station in a drunken state. “There are no metal detectors even at the main entrance, not to mention all those unauthorised entries.
A lot of regular passengers, women in particular, come to the station to travel from their place of work to their houses.
All those openings should be closed to prevent anti-social elements from entering the station”, said Arvind Balachandran, a regular passenger.
Ernakulam North is an important station where 44 trains, mostly express services, halt daily.