It is high time, that both the Southern Railway and the district administration take cognisance of the plight of the people travelling by trains at the Tiruverambur railway station.
A major station in the Tiruchi – Thanjavur section, Tiruverumbur is being used by a large number of people round the clock.
Employees of Bharath Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and its ancillary units, students and teachers of various institutes including, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi (NIT-T), and residents of BHEL township frequent this station daily.
Cross sections of the people complain that the station lacks basic facilities and needs a face lift.
Problems aplenty
The condition of the main approach road and the small road leading to the station from the Tiruverambur bus stop on the Thanjavur-Tiruchi National Highways is bad and desperately needs attention. The station lacks several basic amenities, including protected drinking water and toilet facilities.
The approach roads to the station from the Tiruverambur main road should be widened and repaired to enable four wheelers to reach the station without difficulty. It is horrible to reach the station from the road during rainy season, says P.S.Pandiyan, an electrical mechanic of Tiruverambur.
Thanks to no fencing along the rail lines, people living near the station indulge in crossing the rail lines for easy access, despite the risk of being knocked down by trains, especially during night hours.
R. Prakash, a resident near the Tiruverambur railway station, which is flooded with sewage water with unhygienic condition, said that several representations to the Southern Railway to construct a foot over-bridge at the Tiruverambur station for the benefit of the people to reach either side of the station, went in vain and the Railways did not take the issue seriously.
Pointing out the increase in chain-snatching cases in the recent times, the commuters demand posting of police personnel for the safety of the women passengers during night hours.
P. Joseph, a retired railway employee, told The Hindu that the station has become a haven for anti-social elements and drunkards who were causing nuisance during night hours and picked up unnecessary quarrel with the commuters.
He pointed out that the Railways should take immediate steps to open computerised reservation centre (CRS) at Tiruverambur as it would be very helpful for the people to do reservation for various trains without going to Tiruchi junction or BHEL township reservation centre. The station also needs proper maintenance of its platforms and provision of drinking water taps at many places, he said.
Even though Tiruverumbur station is a nerve centre, express trains like Jan Shatabdi, Tiruchi – Mayiladuturai express are not stopped at this station. The stopping of these trains in Tiruverambur will be of immense help to the commuters.
