Chennai: Amid station redevelopment, commuters at Egmore’s suburban platforms, including senior citizens, have been left to brave the blistering sun after the roofs were dismantled without arranging a temporary shelter. Southern Railway had taken up the work of redevelopment of Egmore station to offer infrastructure and airport-like facilities for passengers. The tender for the redevelopment was awarded in Oct 2022. As part of the project, the roofs of two suburban platforms were removed last week.
Passengers questioned why alternative arrangements were not made before dismantling the structure. “It is hard to stand under the sun without a roof for a long time, especially as train timings are not fixed and delays occur. Even after a week, the new roof has not been installed. Passengers, particularly senior citizens and children, are worst affected,” said R Thilagavathy, an office-goer.“The authorities should have planned this better. Removing the roof without putting up a temporary shelter shows a lack of coordination. While redevelopment is necessary, passenger comfort and safety must come first,” said A Arokiyaraj, a regular commuter. Passengers want railway authorities to install temporary heat-resistant sheets and provide basic amenities during the renovation period. When contacted, chief public relations officer of Southern Railway M Senthamil Selvan said, “The overall station redevelopment is under way, and the roof was removed as part of the renovation process. Work is being carried out in phases to minimize inconvenience to passengers.”
