Parking area at the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station on January 4.
| Photo Credit: H. VIBHU
Safety inspections conducted by the Fire and Rescue Services at parking facilities in the city’s two major railway stations have flagged several concerns. Shortage of adequate firefighting equipment, poor maintenance and lack of training to handle emergencies were among the issues pointed out by the team, which inspected the parking lots at Ernakulam Junction (South) and Ernakulam Town (North) railway stations on Sunday (January 4), sources said.
The checks were carried out across the State following the massive fire that gutted around 500 motorcycles parked at a facility on the Thrissur railway station premises in the early hours of Sunday.
Hundreds of two-wheelers and other vehicles are parked at both the North and South station campuses by commuters in Ernakulam.
A common concern that emerged during the inspection was the absence of functional fire hydrants in the parking lots at both stations. Though hydrants are installed at the eastern entrance of the South station, they were found to be dysfunctional. “The knobs of the hydrants were not functioning, apparently due to poor maintenance,” an official involved in the inspection said. Fire hydrants are connection points that allow firefighters to access the water supply during operations.
Outdated fire extinguishers were also found during the inspection. “Fire extinguishers need to be refilled with the required agent even if they have not been used. It was found that such protocols were not followed in some places. The Fire and Rescue Services department has offered to provide training to parking staff if required,” the official said.
At the North station, officials also raised concerns about the proximity of the parking facility to the platforms. The inspections were jointly conducted by teams from the Fire and Rescue Services, Railway Protection Force, and Government Railway Police. Officials said safety advisories would be issued to the authorities concerned based on the findings.
On a positive note, sources involved in the exercise said the parking facilities were adequately staffed to manage emergencies. “There are sufficient CCTV cameras installed, and the facilities are located at a safe distance from electric lines,” an official said.
The parking facilities at the main entrances of both the South and North stations are operated by contractors appointed by the Railways, while the one at the eastern entrance of the South station functions on the property owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA).
Published – January 04, 2026 10:14 pm IST
