Rude response if questioned; men travelling via ladies' coaches increasing; no police monitoring, allege passengers

KOCHI: Complaints are increasing that men are taking up seats in ladies coaches in trains. The complainants allege that there is no police assistance on trains and that sometimes men board the trains by preventing women from even entering the coaches. Some allege that men even threaten women for questioning their travel in ladies' coaches

Women passengers have complained that it is difficult for women to board and alight at many stations on the Kollam-Ernakulam MEMU. There are also complaints that there are male passengers in women's coaches on the Kollam-Ernakulam Special MEMU. Passengers say that there are often no police on the Kottayam Express at night and that once, when they complained about a drunken passenger making a ruckus on a train that left Ernakulam town, they were told that action would be taken once the train reached Kottayam.

Passengers are demanding that police security be ensured on all trains and that more security personnel be deployed in the RPF and GRP. 'Friends on Rails' has demanded that urgent attention be paid to CCTV security systems on trains and action be taken against beggars and those collecting money on trains.