Bengaluru: A train ran over a student allegedly using earphones while he was trying to cross the railway tracks near Brigade School, Mahadevapura.Anurag Subba, 20, who was pursuing his degree at International Institute of Hotel Management, was a resident of Omm Shakti Layout in KR Pura.Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials suspect that the youth failed to notice the oncoming train. “Prima facie evidence suggests that he was run over because he was unable to hear the approaching train as he was using earphones while crossing the tracks,” a senior RPF officer said.According to passengers and officials, the area between KR Pura and Hoodi usually sees a large number of people, including students, crossing tracks in the morning.“It’s an area where there is a lot of trespassing. We have been conducting a lot of awareness programs here,” the officer added.“I saw the train hitting him this morning because I live very close to the railway tracks. Multiple people, including me, have complained to the Bengaluru divisional railway manager (DRM) and sought a compound wall. They haven’t listened to us,” said Suresh Pani, a local resident.Suresh added that pedestrians are forced to cross the tracks as there is no foot overbridge on the stretch and that the alternative route consumes a significant time.Aswini TV, a resident near Hoodi, stated that hundreds of gig workers cross these railway tracks every day. “If they use the road, they have to walk more than 8km to reach the same place. Instead of providing proper road connectivity, iron barricades have been put up to stop people from crossing. This is poor planning and leaves people with no safe, practical way to get to work,” she said.According to a South Western Railway (SWR) reply to a recent complaint, the construction of a railway underbridge (RUB) near Kaveri Nagar was sanctioned. SWR maintains that it will be completed before the end of the year.“The casting of the slab and box portion has been completed, and the work is presently awaiting a line block for the execution of the remaining works,” the zone stated in its reply.
