Citizen Connect: Escalator a piece of museum at Egmore Railway Station

CHENNAI: Catering to over 35 mainline trains and 240 suburban trains, Chennai Egmore Railway Station sorely needs revamping its escalators, as the one located at its northern entrance has been dysfunctional for over a year and the lift isn’t adequate to cater to footfall, hitting commuters badly.

Niranjana S, a commuter who takes the suburban train to reach Egmore from Pallavaram slammed the lethargic attitude of the Railways for failing to repair the escalator. “The escalator is dysfunctional for a long time leaving the passengers to suffer”, she said.

In 2022 the Railway Minister officially said the Egmore station, catering to 24,000 passengers every day then, will be upgraded at a cost of Rs 760 crore. But on the ground, the situation appears bad to date. As the station happens to be the second hub of the city, it caters to passengers who travel outstations carrying huge luggage, making it difficult without escalators at the Poonamalee Road entrance. Commuters point out that there were also instances when the lift also fails to work, putting passengers in severe distress.

“As the escalator is dysfunctional, the lift is usually crowded. The passengers would get a reprieve if the escalator is made functional”, said Rajendran S, a senior citizen.

When contacted an official attached to the railway station said that the issue would be looked into and steps would be taken to address it.