As the Union Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhu would lay the foundation stone marking the beginning of work on laying a third broad gauge line connecting Tambaram and Chengalpattu, on Sunday, the Tambaram railway station and its surrounding areas have received a facelift.
The Union Railways Minister would also flag off a train service between Chennai Central and Howrah, according to railway officials.
As part of the inaugural ceremony, the Southern Railway has added lustre to the staircases on the eastern side of the station, having painting them in decorative colours.
Workers at the site said the paint would last for a longer duration than the regular one.
However, it requires maintenance and once it gets faded, a new coat should be applied.
Workers were seen painting the main entrance on the western side and the road around the railway grounds was being black-topped.
Apart from this, hundreds of workers were engaged in making a dais ready at the venue of the event – which is the Railway Grounds.
Southern Railway Divisional Railway Manager - Chennai Anupam Sharma and other officials, along with senior officials of Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force, visited the railway station and the Railway Grounds to oversee the arrangements for the function on Sunday.
Located 60 km from Chennai Beach, Chengalpattu is a fast-growing satellite town in neighbouring Kancheepuram district from where thousands travel to the State capital every day.
Now there are four lines between Chennai and Tambaram, two for long-distance trains and the other two for suburban trains.
Thousands of commuters from areas between Tambaram and Chengalpattu will, in a year’s time, have better access to Chennai Beach.
The commissioning of the doubling work from Chengalpattu to Villupuram along with the third line between Tambaram and Chengalpattu will ensure dedicated tracks for operating additional suburban train services between Chengalpattu and Chennai Beach — which are about 250 a day now.