Terminus on paper, but Tambaram station fails rail commuters

CHENNAI: The railway station at Tambaram is from where thousands of passengers either embark trains or get off every day for daily commute or long-distance journey. However, despite being the third terminus of the Southern Railway in the metropolis, it does not have even basic facilities, leaving the passengers struggling.

In terms of importance, the Tambaram station is the third railway terminal after to Dr MGR Central railway station and the Egmore railway station. The station has eight platforms, four for EMU services and an equal number of platforms for the operation of long-distance express trains. Like the other two, Tambaram, too, is buzzing with passengers round the clock, recording a footfall of more than four lakh commuters every day.

Official data shows that 160 EMUs are operated from here to Chennai Beach station, and another 70 local trains to Chengalpattu and 10 to Thirumalpur, ferrying several lakh daily commuters heading to their offices and shops, colleges and schools.

Apart from these, the Zonal railway also operates express trains to important hubs within the State like Tiruchy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Salem, Nagercoil, and Villupuram, and also to other states like Kollam in Kerala, and Howrah in West Bengal. However, despite these numbers that make clear how crucial the facility is for the national carrier, Tambaram station lacks even the basic facilities, which puts passengers, especially those travelling on express trains, at hardship.

A key facility that is absent here is escalators or lifts. According to Charles, a resident of Tambaram who boarded a train from here to Thoothukudi a few week ago, recalled how an elderly couple was struggling to lift their luggage while climbing the steps. “We went and helped the couple. Every day, people suffer because there is no escalator or lift available on the platforms where the long-distance trains arrive,” he complained.

“Due to the unavailability of escalators, many passengers find it difficult to climb the stairs with luggage. They are forced to risk their lives by crossing the tracks,” added Dinesh from Tambaram.

Another issue that affects the long-distance travellers is the absence of display boards to identify coach position. Because of this, passengers have wait till the train enters the station and arrives on the platform and then run searching for their coach – not an easy task for the elderly, women and those carrying luggage.

“Being the third terminal in the city, these are some of the basic facilities that should be available in the railway station. In the southern districts, even small stations have display boards to indicate the position of each coach. There are lifts and escalators, too, at small stations there,” added Dinesh.

When asked, R Edison Selvaraj, the station master at Tambaram, told DT Next that it was not possible to install escalators on the long-distance platforms because their width is less. “We are working on widening the platforms, after which escalators will be installed,” he said.

The official added that Tambaram station would soon have two new platforms, the work on which is in progress. “All these works will be completed in the next six months. After that, all platforms will have escalators and display boards, and passengers will not face any hassle,” Edison Selvaraj assured.