With nearly 65% of the work taken up under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) at the Thanjavur Railway Junction having been completed so far, the railways has reopened the passenger reservation system counter at the main entrance of the junction, much to the relief of travellers.
Train travellers had been complaining that they were facing difficulties in buying tickets from the temporary counter established at the second entrance of the station over the past few months. The ticket counter at the junction was shifted to the station’s second entry from February 24 temporarily to facilitate the renovation work.
The station is being redeveloped at a cost of ₹23.23 crore under the ABSS. Rail users associations and travellers had been contending that ever since the closure of the ticket counter at the main entrance, passengers entering the station via the entrance had to cross multiple platforms to reach the second entrance to get the tickets. There were reports of some passengers missing trains.
“The PRS counter was reopened at the main entrance on Wednesday,” an official in the Tiruchi Railway Division told The Hindu. Besides, two Automatic Ticket Vending Machines, one each at the main and second entrance, were functioning. A third machine, which is in disrepair, would be made functional soon.
While welcoming the reopening of the PRS counter at the main entrance, V. Jeevakumar, Secretary, Cauvery Delta Train Passengers’ Association, hoped that the ABSS work would be completed at the earliest. He wanted the divisional railway authorities to look into the public address system at the junction as the announcements made were “not audible” on the platforms towards second entrance.
Under the redevelopment plan at Thanjavur junction, the waiting hall is being renovated and the existing subway would be revamped to provide seamless passage for travellers to access different parts of the station.
Additionally, new toilet blocks would be constructed while the existing ones would undergo renovation. Platforms would receive significant attention with additional benches, water taps, and shelters to ensure a comfortable and pleasant experience for travellers. The existing station building is being renovated and a new porch would come up giving an element of grandeur to the station’s facade. The platforms would be provided with 1.125-metre-wide edge strips featuring tactile coping slabs for the benefit of persons with disabilities.
Railway sources indicated that the ABSS work was likely to be completed by September.
