One of the oldest railway stations in the city – Vysarpadi Jeeva – will be receive a facelift soon. Work on developing modern facilities, including tiled pathways on platforms to make it easier for commuters to detrain, and computerised reservation counters has already begun. The project is being taken up as part of Southern Railway’s Improvement of Passengers Amenities Scheme for 2014-2015.
The total cost of the project is estimated at around Rs. 90 lakh and the work is expected to be completed in a few months.
“Unlike other railway stations, including Perambur and Basin Bridge, which are key stations where long distance trains halt, Vysarpadi railway station caters to local commuters,” said a railway official.
After Royapuram, Vysarpadi is the oldest and one of the busiest stations in the western parts of the city. It connects Chennai Central with Arakkonam, Tiruvallur and Tiruttani. More importantly, the Vysarpadi railway station is located at the centre of four rail routes for long distance trains that head to the north (Gummudipoondi), west (Jolarpet via Arakkonam), south (Egmore) and east (Chennai Central).
Work on replacing the damaged concrete floor of the platform with tiles is currently being undertaken. The rest of the platform will be concrete floor.
New seating arrangements, electronic boards displaying train timings, better illumination, water cooler and food stalls are others amenities that will come up at the station.
“Policemen patrol the station, especially during the evening hours, to prevent anti-socials from roaming near the facility,” said S. Lakshmi, a commuter from Vysar Nagar.
For many years, chain snatching, luggage and cell phone thefts have been reported from the station. It’s proximity to crime-prone areas, poor illumination at the railway station and also on the stretches connecting the station, the railway station at Vysarpadi has been a den for anti-socials for years.
