CHENNAI: A pedestrian subway at Tirunindravur railway station, a long-standing demand of passengers, has been sanctioned and the detailed estimate for the work is under preparation, Southern Railway has said.
Responding to a DT Next article published on September 7 on the demands raised by the Tirunindravur Railway Passengers Welfare Association, Chennai Division of Southern Railway said the subway was sanctioned to prevent pedestrian trespassing at the Arakkonam end and a detailed estimate is currently being prepared.
It also said the station already has platform shelters in excess of the Minimum Essential Amenities norms, though a plan for additional shelters would be prepared based on feasibility and passenger requirements. With regard to frequent lift failures, it acknowledged occasional technical failures, but said they were promptly rectified.
Restoring the Chennai Central–Tirunindravur turn-back service, it said, would delay five morning peak-hour services from Arakkonam and Tiruvallur to Chennai Central by 15 to 20 minutes. A direct Tirunindravur–Tambaram service was discontinued along with suburban services between the Chennai Central–Arakkonam and Chennai Beach–Chengalpattu sections to protect punctuality, while the different car sheds at Avadi and Tambaram also pose maintenance constraints.
The administration pointed out that Train 66034 from Tiruvannamalai to Tambaram already stops at Tirunindravur at 8.50 am and reaches Tambaram at 11.10 am. The proposed extension of the Salem–Arakkonam MEMU to Avadi, with stops at Tiruvallur and Tirunindravur, was also ruled out as operationally unfeasible due to severe track-capacity constraints at Avadi
The association had sought additional CCTV cameras at several points around the station. The Railways said 32 cameras and that the existing coverage is adequate.