Commuter inconvenience: Lack of facilities at Chromepet station risks lives of passengers

Despite being one of the oldest railway stations in the suburbs of Chennai, Chromepet railway station lacks even basic facilities and this puts commuters to a lot of inconveniences.

According to railway officials, Chromepet railway station has been functioning from the pre-independence era and residents of Hastinapuram, Nemilicherry, Nagapa Nagar, Nagalkeni, MC Nagar, State Bank Colony and Radha Nagar are its main beneficiaries. Of late, the area has become a commercial hub as many famous jewelry and textile shops have been opened here.

With the footfall in Chromepet station increasing with every passing day, the station struggles to cater to the needs of its patrons. According to sources, up to 40,000 people would visit the station on a daily basis but the commuters claimed that it does not even have a subway and they are forced to cross the railway tracks and risk their lives.

The foot overbridge in the station is being only used by the students of MIT. “Other commuters who need to travel to Radha Nagar, Shanthi Nagar, and Sanjay Gandhi Nagar are forced to cross the railway track. If a subway is constructed, it would be really helpful for them,” said V Santhanam, a social activist from Chromepet.

The station does not even have a digital clock or display broads or drinking water facilities. Commuters also complained that there are announcement speakers fixed in the station but they are hardly used.

Janani, a regular commuter from Chromepet, said, “I broad an EMU from here to reach home every night. My safety is at risk at the station as there are be no RPF personnel posted here and it does not have CCTV cameras, too.”

Other commuters pointed out that the third and fourth platforms in the station are only used by fast EMU trains in the mornings. In the evening, as there are no lights, those platforms become a den for anti-social elements. They added that they have seen alcohol bottles in the station and the police were not taking any action.

Another issue at the station is school students risking their lives by jumping the compound wall and crossing tracks. Commuters said that RPF officers and policemen who witness this do not reprimand them. Railway sources said that at least 10 people, including students, have been run over by trains on the Pallavaram-Chromepet stretch in the past year.

When contacted, M Anandan, Chromepet Station Commercial Supervisor, said, “The work on the subway is in its initial stages. We will try to fix CCTV cameras and clocks in the station soon. We have asked the students to not jump the compound walls several times, but they never listen to us. We will look into the issue and take action.”

He added that steps are being taken to identify those consuming liquor in the station at night and action would be taken against them, too.