Safety at stake at Ambattur railway station

The extended sections of platforms 1 and 2 at Ambattur railway station require lighting facilities

Due to lack of street lights on the extended portions of Platform 1 and 2 at Ambattur railway station, the safety of commuters, especially women, after crepuscular hours, has been compromised considerably.

Miscreants are said to be loitering around in the poorly-lit sections of these platforms.

According to regular commuters, these anti-socials access these these platforms through the portion of the compound wall at the station that is yet to be completed.

In line with commuters’ long-standing demand, the Southern Railway extended the platforms to accommodate 12-car suburban trains at Ambattur railway station recently.

A few years ago, all local railway stations including Perambur, Villivakkam, Ambattur and Avadi had only platforms that could accommodate only nine-car suburban trains.

During that time, commuters who had boarded in the last three compartments, would have to jump from their compartments as the platforms were unable to accommodate all 12 compartments, when 12-car local trains chug into the station.

Than, Southern Railway extended the platforms at big local railway stations across the city.

“Without illumination on the extended portion of these platforms, commuters are scared of alighting there at night,” says T. Gunaseelan, a long-time commuter from Ambattur.

Commuters say that Southern Railway should replace the existing old sodium vapour lights at the station with LED lights.

“We have informed our higher officials at the Southern Railway headquarters about this problem,” says a railway official.

An all-important facility

* Located between the railway stations at Thirumullavoyal and Pattaravakkam, the Ambattur railway is a lifeline for college students and industrial workers from the Ambattur Industrial Estate.

* Residents of Padi, Mannurpet, Karukku, Kallikuppam, Menambedu and Pattaravakkam board trains at the station to reach Arakkonam, Avadi, Villivakkam, Perambur and Chennai Central.

* It takes less than 10 minutes to reach rail loco works in Perambur for train commuters from Ambattur, Pattaravakkam and adjoining areas.