The differently abled and the elderly will soon be able to skip the staircase to reach different platforms at the Central railway station here, courtesy two escalators getting ready for commissioning on platform 1.
A total of six escalators will be installed at the station, which is being upgraded to a world-class facility.
The Central station is the second in the Thiruvananthapuram railway division after Ernakulam to get the escalators, installed at a cost of Rs.78.50 lakh each. The two escalators have been set up near the foot overbridge on platform one that provides connectivity to platforms 2, 3, and 4.
As the code of conduct is in force for the Lok Sabha elections, the commissioning of the escalators will be without any formal function.
Trial runs and safety trials have been completed, and the escalators will be thrown open to passengers within the next week after the remaining civil works are over.
There will be one escalator to go up and the other to come down. Those moving from platform 1 to the other platforms will have to use one and those coming from platform 2, 3 and 4 to platform 1 the other one. The escalators are equipped with sensors and will move automatically when the passengers reach the entry point.
As the two escalators will not be able to accommodate all those who reach the station, the steps that lead to the foot overbridge will be retained. Besides the differently abled, the sick, and the elderly, the escalators will come in handy for those who have to carry heavy luggage.
More to come upThe railway station will get one escalator each on platforms 2/3 and 4/5. The orders for the escalators were placed directly by the Railway Board.
The new foot overbridge will come up towards the Nagercoil side. The fifth and sixth escalators will come up on platforms 1 and 2 near the proposed foot overbridge.
The escalators are among the 42 being set up in 15 ‘A-1’ and ‘A’ class railway stations across the State.
