Named dirtiest station, Perungalathur shows no sign of improvement

From being dirty to being unsafe for commuters, the railway station at Perungalathur, one of the important suburbs in the southern part of Chennai, has nothing going for it.

The regular commuters who use the facility are a hassled lot as it does not have any basic facility. Making matters worse, the station premises remain a nightmare for women commuters who travel alone.

Even after being framed as the dirtiest railway station in India last year, there have been no improvements to the Perungalathur railway station.

It is one of the fast-developing areas as many people from different areas have relocated to Perungalathur, thanks to the IT Park located there. According to railway officials, the footfall at the station is more than 40,000 every day.

One of the main grouses of the commuters is that those who alight bus at Perungalathur do not know where to buy train tickets from and where the train would arrive as there are no proper signboards to guide them.

The commuters said that the ticket counter is on an old and unused platform and that they have to carry their luggage and walk a long way to buy the tickets. Even the pathways are not properly maintained and senior citizens often slip and injure themselves.

D Sam Asir, a commuter, said “There are no boards to direct us to the counters and we are forced to walk on the bumpy pathway. It would be nice if a more accessible ticket counter is built.”

The station is not kept clean as there is a Tasmac outlet functioning very close to it. Tipplers often but bottles from there and consume it within the station.

Women commuters said that safety is in question while travelling alone, especially in the subway. They complained that drunk men have been a threat to them several times. They pointed out that no action was taken even after many complaints.

“No RPF personnel can be spotted in the station and no CCTV cameras are fixed to monitor the situation. The station does not have a proper shelter, water facility or announcements,” said Sujatha, another commuter.

“The main problem is the Tasmac outlet and it needs to be removed from there immediately. The railways should take the issue seriously and take action,” said Mahalakshmi from the locality.

In 2019, Perungalathurrailway station was named as the dirtiest station in thecountry and yet there are no developments.

When contacted, a Southern railway official said that he will soon look into the issues.