The renovation of the roofing of the railway stations on the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) has finally begun, and is progressing at a fast pace.
The roofing at the elevated corridor of the railway stations, fixed with corrugated metal and fibre sheets, is being fully replaced at four stations by the Southern Railway. The metal-cum-fibre roofing was badly damaged during cyclone Vardah that hit the city in December 2016. Several railway stations on the MRTS section had leaking roofs, causing inconvenience to the passengers waiting on the platforms.
Naveen Gulati, Divisional Railway Manager – Chennai Division, Southern Railway, said repair of the roof at the Mundakakanniamman Koil railway station had been completed. Work was on at three railway stations including Light House, Chepauk and Thiruvallikeni, to install new metal-cum-fibre sheets after giving a fresh coat of paints on the iron frames of the roofing. The total cost for executing the new roofing along with painting was ₹6.25 crore. The replacement of roofing in the railway stations was planned to be completed before the monsoon this year, he added.
The Southern Railway has also taken up the work of installing new escalators at two railway stations at Chepauk and Chintadripet.
A senior official of the Southern Railway said the escalators at both the Chepauk and Chintadripet railway stations were replaced at a cost of ₹2.31 crore. At Chintadripet railway station, three escalators would be fixed, and in Chepauk, one escalator. The railway official said the escalators in the two railway stations had stopped working not because of poor maintenance or neglect but because of vandalisation by anti-social elements.
Sources at the Southern Railway also pointed out the renovation of the roofing and other development work were being carried out despite confusion about transferring the ownership of the MRTS to Chennai Metro Rail.
