The persistent need for a coach guidance display system on Chennai Central Station’s platforms is yet to be addressed. Though central railway stations in other metropolitan cities including Delhi and Hyderabad have this facility in place, Chennai Central is yet to get coach position display boards on each platform.
Agalya Sethu, a passenger on Sanghamitra Express travelling to Bangalore, said, “If such display boards are made available, then we would not have to run to the inquiry office for details.”
Passengers have been coping without this facility thanks to the help of porters. “We tell the passengers where each coach is and especially help people from out of town,” said Babu, a porter.
Another passenger, A.R. Subramanium, 71, was his way to board Charminar Express along with his wife. “The station is so big. It is easier and faster if people know where their coaches will be,” he said. Mr. Subramanium had booked seats in the AC three-tier coach, which can be on either end of the train. According to Railway authorities, over the past few months, they have received requests from passengers to install display position boards on the platforms. Though admitting to the need for coach position display boards at Chennai Central, G. Bhaskar, the station master on duty raised feasibility issues. “Information about platforms is easy to display. But it is not possible to predict the coach position of all trains. We can only tell the positions of coaches of trains departing from the station. Positions for incoming ones cannot always be predicted,” he said.
