No RPF security, lighting, clocks at Kodambakkam stn rile commuters

Kodambakkam railway station is one of the important in the city with a footfall of around 20,000 per day. Despite catering to thousands of commuters daily, the station lacks basic facilities and security measures.

Sources said that the footfall has decreased recently after the inauguration of Metro station here. However, the station remains packed during peak hours with hardly any free space.

Situated in the heart of the city, the station receives patrons commuting to Vadapalani, Arcot Road, Valluvar Kottam areas besides Kodambakkam and even T Nagar. As there are a number of educational institutions in the vicinity, the station is used by a large number of students during morning and evening hours.

One of the key concerns faced by commuters is the absence of adequate lighting in the station as compared to the other suburban railway stations. They said that it gets extremely difficult to find their way after dark. They also complained that there is no proper entrance for the station as the road leading towards the facility is too narrow.

“Despite being one of the most crowded stations, there are no CCTV cameras installed here. Women feel unsafe while are waiting for the train during after nightfall,” Karthiga, who works for a private firm, said. She added RPF personnel are a rare sight at the station. The personnel visit the station only once or twice in a day.

Counting their woes, a commuter said that there are no display boards or clocks at the station.

Each railway station is required to install a display board and clock besides an announcement system. The commuters said that announcements are not made properly or regularly before the train arrives. Another major issue that the commuters raised is the location of ticket counters. It was recently shifted from a platform.

“Earlier, it was on the platform. But it was closed and shifted to the foot overbridge. For those who do not use season pass, it has proved to be difficult as one has to climb up and down the stairs even if they need not cross on to another platform,” Sebastin, another commuter, said.

Adding to commuter woes, garbage bins in the station are not maintained properly. Plastic bins placed in the station are mostly pushed over and garbage is littered on the floor. Passengers feel that the station needs to be improved in terms of infrastructure and facilities as it is one of the important in the city and many people from different places would visit the station. When contacted, the Kodambakkam railway station manager said, “The development of the station is under progress and CCTV cameras would be fixed soon.”