Chennai Citizen Connect: Renovation waste obstructs pathway at Egmore railway station

CHENNAI: The renovation works at the Egmore railway station have not only affected the parking on the premises but also contributed to the space crunch on pedestrian platform, which connects the railway station to the Poonamallee High Road.

After alighting suburban trains from Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tambaram, passengers are forced to pass through the road instead of the platform to exit as the uprooted trees from the maintenance work have not been cleared yet.

“The platform is not just convenient for office-goers but also a preferred spot for passengers to rest under the shade of trees while waiting for the trains,” a private company employee said, adding that even he prefers to rest on the platform after a long day at work.

Outsiders, including auto drivers from the rickshaw stand close to the railway station, have lunch under the shade of the huge trees, which is not possible now. “After the renovation works started, several trees vanished, and its main branches were dumped in this platform, which is getting cleared at a snail’s pace,” an auto driver complained, who parks his vehicle regularly near the station.

However, a senior official from the Egmore railway station said that the authorities had instructed the contract workers involved in the renovation to clear the tree branches faster. “The waste will be cleared within a week,” he added.