The Southern Railway is stepping up civil works at many suburban stations. At some stations, platforms are being extended, and at some others, the length of the overhead roof is being increased.
Official sources said that multiple contractors were engaged in revamping the primary access to the Perambur station — by creating ramps leading from the main entrance to the station, which will improve access to the platform.
This action, the sources said, followed complaints from commuters.
Officials said that at Pallavaram, improvement works were being carried out at platforms 3 and 4, which were used scarcely. They added that the works were part of an ongoing project to lay tiles that are uniform in all stations.
Increasing cover
In St. Thomas Mount, the length of the overhead roof has been increased to cover nearly all the compartments of a 12-car suburban rake.
Officials said this was being done to shelter waiting commuters from the scorching heat.
While welcoming such initiatives, passengers like S. Prasanna, who travels on suburban trains between Egmore and Pazhavanthangal every day, said the Southern Railway should also give priority to ensuring that drinking water was available in all stations.
Officials also added that work was being carried out to extend platforms at many stations on the western line — between Moore Market Complex and Arakkonam — to accommodate 12 car rakes.
Commuters’ woes
At the same time, commuters have also appealed to the railway authorities to look into the problem faced by commuters, especially senior citizens, while boarding trains from at of the suburban railway station platforms.
They said the huge gap between the entrance of the suburban train compartments and the platform surface made it very difficult for commuters to entrain and detrain.
Commuters said railway staff should ensure that platform floors at stations where long-distance trains halt — Mambalam and Tambaram for instance — are smooth as passengers pull heavy luggage along with them.
Uneven surfaces result in passengers tripping and falling down, they said.
