Southern Railway often organises intensive awareness campaigns to prevent people from walking across the railway tracks and reduce fatal accidents.
In the Veppampattu village in Tiruvallur district, however, commuters and residents have no other option but to walk across four railway lines. For, there is no safer alternative to crossing the lines in this manner. The State Highways Department and Southern Railway began work in 2010 on the road overbridge to replace the level crossing (LC No. 14) at the northern end of Veppampattu railway station platform.
The bridge, which connects Perumalpattu Road with Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road, would have proved to be a boon for residents of villages around Sevvapet, Veppampattu and Tiruvallur town. The station is 32 km from Chennai Central on the Tiruvallur suburban route.Residents obtain stay
Southern Railway completed its portion of the work pertaining to the bridge, the estimated cost of which is around Rs. 30 crore. Most of the work on Perumalpattu Road was completed and pillars too were built on the other side, but a section of residents obtained a stay on the work from the High Court. The original design of the bridge, which would have caused little damage to property, had been tampered with at the behest of certain “vested interests,” residents and traders of Veppampattu alleged.
They told The Hindu that after the work began, the level crossing was closed down, forcing motorists to take a detour, while pedestrians had to walk across the railway lines.
“Concrete sleepers have been placed haphazardly and people trip and fall,” said K. K. Krishnamurthy, a pensioner. Officials at Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority said they were unable to proceed with the work after the stay order issued in 2013. Mr. Krishnamurthy said that a temporary facility to ensure safe passage of pedestrians should be arranged.
