Perambur Loco subway slips back into disrepair just 5 months after restoration
The facility, reopened to the public in June 2025 after being closed for nearly a year, was expected to fix years of seepage, flooding and structural damage. But less than five months later, the same problems are back and worse.
Visuals from the spot
CHENNAI: The pedestrian subway near Perambur Loco Works railway station, built during the COVID-19 lockdown to end the unsafe practice of people crossing live railway tracks, has once again fallen apart, just months after a costly year-long restoration.
The facility, reopened to the public in June 2025 after being closed for nearly a year, was expected to fix years of seepage, flooding and structural damage. But less than five months later, the same problems are back and worse.
Since rainfall began a few days ago, the entire stretch was flooded again. Water streamed through the walls and pooled along the floor, turning the subway into an inaccessible tunnel. Concrete panels on the ceilings have wide cracks that are large enough for a person to slide their hand entirely through the roof. Bollards are missing, lighting remains inadequate, leaving much of the tunnel in darkness by evening.
“Women never use this subway once the lights go off. Since I live in the area, I know that men drink, do drugs and everything else,” lamented Sherlin, a Perambur resident.
Activist Raghukumar C, who led a citizen audit of the subway, said the so-called restoration was “a textbook case of public money wasted. Even basic drainage and waterproofing have been ignored. Compare this with Metro underground stations, which are built with proper drainage and waterproofing from the design stage. Here, everything is afterthought and patchwork. Water will always find its way through unsealed joints. Without reengineering the drainage and joint sealing, repairs are meaningless.”
The subway, which connects the Perambur Loco Works colony with the station side, was once a long-pending safety upgrade. But since its first year of use, residents have faced flooding, leaking ceilings, damaged flooring and theft. Stainless-steel bollards meant to keep two-wheelers out were either stolen or loosely fitted.
Now, with the monsoon, the restored structure stands once again waterlogged and unsafe. Despite many attempts, Southern Railway officials were unavailable for comment.