The announcement of upgrading two railway stations in Tiruchi Railway Division – Tiruverambur and Ariyalur – as Adarsh stations by creating various infrastructure has brought cheer to the travelling public of the central districts.
The division already accounted for eight Adarsh stations.
The Adarsh stations should have platform shelters; electronic coach indication boards; spacious waiting room; passenger reservation system (PRS) centre; ramps at various places for the benefit of differently abled; low-level ticket issuing counter; toilets for the differently abled; foot overbridges connecting platforms; potable drinking water facility; wheel chairs; cloak room; pay and use toilets, vegetarian light refreshment stalls.
The other ‘desirable' facilities include ATMs, retiring rooms, upper class waiting hall.
The facilities will be available in both Tiruverambur and Ariyalur stations with in a year, said Divisional Railway Manager P.V. Vaidialingam.
Tiruverambur station is a major railway station on the main line and is frequented by a large number of office goers, industrial workers employed in BHEL, its ancillary units, industrial units at SIDCO industrial estate, fabrication units, other small scale units in Ariyamangalam and also by the students of educational institutions.
Understanding its importance, the railways had already completed various development works, including construction of shelter in platforms in the Tiruverambur station, foot overbridge, drinking water facility at a cost of Rs.2 crore.
Further it had also planned approach roads, booking office extension, a retaining wall on platform 4, shelter on platform 4, and extension of the shelter on platform 3.
The BHEL had assured assistance in a big way for upgrading the railway station by developing a spacious parking lot and lighting arrangements.
An additional loop line was also sanctioned to Tiruvermbur station.
When this work was about to be taken, the Railway Ministry in its supplementary budget sanctioned the proposal of doubling the 49-km-long track between Golden Rock and Thanjavur junction at an outlay of Rs.195 crore. The budget announcement on converting the Tiruverambur as Adarsh station is a pleasant surprise.
According to Mr. Vaidialingam, Tiruchi, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Vriddhachalam junctions, Kumbakonam, Nagore and Srirangam stations were announced as Adarsh stations in earlier railway budgets.
The development works launched in a majority of these junctions and stations had already been completed. In the rest of the stations too, the works are nearing completion.
