CHENNAI: Crowd surge at Tambaram railway station as hundreds of migrant workers travel to West Bengal ahead of the assembly elections there on April 23 and 29.
Thousands of workers from West Bengal who migrated to Tamil Nadu are currently residing in Chennai, its suburbs, and the northern districts. To fulfil their democratic duty, many have begun travelling back to their native places by train.
Tambaram station, one of the key transit points in the Chennai suburbs, is witnessing high footfall, with large crowds of migrant workers, especially from West Bengal, gathering in groups throughout the day and night.
Many arrive at the station hours in advance, particularly for trains scheduled to depart late at night or early morning. As a result, heavy crowds begin building up at the station premises from the afternoon itself.
To avoid congestion on platforms and inconvenience to other passengers, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are regulating entry and holding passengers at the station entrance. They are being allowed onto the platforms only about an hour before their trains depart.
Additional security arrangements have been put in place by the RPF and railway police to manage the situation and ensure the smooth movement of passengers.