The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tambaram railway station building to open by March

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Tambaram railway station building to open by March

K. Manikandan

Work suffered a setback when a Kolkata-based contractor abandoned it

It will have 10 booking counters Space provided for two A/C dormitories, waiting halls and a VIP lounge Plenty of space for shunting wagons

NEW-LOOK FACILITY: The building under construction for Tambaram station, the fastest growing suburban station. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM: Work on construction of the new railway station building at Tambaram has resumed and it is expected to be ready by March next.

The Rs. 1.3-crore project that began more than two years ago suffered a setback when the Kolkata-based contractor abandoned the work.

Re-tenders were called for and work on the building, situated on the western side, was started by a new contractor a couple of months ago.

The new building is expected to not only give the necessary face-lift to the station, but also have basic facilities. It is one of the fastest growing railway hubs outside Chennai Central in the southern direction.

Booking offices

The building would have booking offices with 10 counters. At present, tickets are issued to suburban commuters only from two counters on the western side, causing inconvenience to commuters and those using the foot over-bridge.

It will have six retiring rooms, three of which would be air-conditioned.

The two-storied building will also have air-conditioned dormitories, deluxe waiting halls and a VIP lounge.

Food courts, coffee parlours, a medical shop and public call offices will be the other features.

At present, the computerised booking centre for long distance trains is functioning on the eastern side and it is not known whether it will be shifted to the new building, according to Southern Railway sources.

More than 200 suburban electric trains operate from Tambaram, including those between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram.

Further, more than 25 expresses, including those bound for Howrah and other places in the north pass through the town. The daily ticket sales at Tambaram fetch Rs. 10 lakhs, half of which comes from suburban travellers.

Growing traffic

In fact, it was this growing traffic and revenue, next only to the Moore Market Complex, that forced the authorities to upgrade the facilities at the station.

With plenty of space available for shunting wagons and to off-load goods to be taken to the nearby Central Warehousing Corporation's godowns at Chitlapakkam, the station will become not only a passenger terminal, but also a commercial one.

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