The Madurai Railway Junction is all set to have a world class infrastructure as large scale development works such as installation of six new escalators and a new air-conditioned waiting room for common passengers are being undertaken at Madurai.
Being taken up at a total cost of over Rs. 25 crore, all the works are expected to be completed within the next nine months, Southern railway sources told The Hindu here on Sunday.
Top class
These works will bring top class infrastructure to the Madurai Railway Junction which, along with Chennai Central Railway Station, is one of the few to be ranked as ‘A1' on the basis of earnings. Apart from improving passenger amenities, this would attract tourists, both domestic and foreign, sources said.
A Government official said that beautification works, carried out in and around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple by the Corporation, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment and Tourism Department, are getting a good response from tourists.
While works worth Rs. 7 crore have been completed in the past 15 months, tenders for works worth Rs. 10 crore have been awarded.
The escalators would cost Rs. 5.5 crore inclusive of installing expenditure.
The indents for 600 escalators across India are with the Railway Board and procurement would commence once it approves the purchase.
The glass panes covering a portion of front entrance would soon be extended to cover the entire front side.
A deluxe-class convenience room replete with modern conveniences such as saloon, cloak rooms and toilets is coming up.
Parking space for two and four wheelers inside the station premises would be expanded.
A major initiative to decongest the station was relocating the cloaking rooms and the ticket counters from the Main Entry Point as long queues are obstructing the entry to platform 1 as well as the foot overbridge on the right.
The counters are in a hall to the backside of its earlier location. The wall that is blocking access would be demolished soon, sources said. Around 95 per cent of the railway buildings in Platform 1 have been relocated to expand the area available for passengers from the earlier 4.4 metres to 9 metres.
The parcel office, Railway Police Station and Railway Protection Force buildings at the northern end of the Platform 1 would move out soon along with remaining buildings.
Further, the area available for passengers in the ground floor of the West Entry Station Building will be expanded as the crew booking office would be shifted.
A total of 15 railway staff stalls have been demolished at Platform 2-3 and new shelters installed covering the entire platform.
Two Reverse Osmosis plants that would provide mineral water free of cost are coming up at Platform 1 and 2-3.
