Passengers demand escalator at Tambaram Sanatorium railway station FOB

CHENNAI: Hundreds of passengers visiting the Tambaram Sanatorium railway station and the pedestrians frequenting GST road demand early completion of Foot Over Bridge (FOB) which according to them is progressing at a snail's pace.

The FOB is planned as the nearby subway catering to the railway station often gets flooded and the public demand an escalator facility.

"The subway gets flooded during the rainy season and it is not usable during that time. Aged people like us struggle to wade through the water and there is no other provision to cross the road, " said P. Viswanathan, convener of Chitlapakkam Residents Associations.

A few months ago the subway was waterlogged and the residents urged the need for FOB, and subsequently, the construction was kick-started last year. The ongoing construction of FOB is without an escalator. The provision of an escalator will help senior citizens and the differently-abled. The residents request the officials to construct escalator facilities along with the FOB.

"The subway is not only used for reaching the other side of the station but also to access the railway station platforms. So escalators must be provided as travellers, especially those with luggage can use the facility. We also want a proper drainage system to remove the water in nearby subways," said S Chandrasekaran, a local resident.

The construction works of the FOB will be completed by December end and there will be lift facilities with a carrying capacity of 13 people, said a source associated with the construction works. When contacted a senior official attached to the Southern Railway said that the issue would be discussed and steps taken to ensure early completion of the project.