The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Adambakkam residents seek subway or foot overbridge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Adambakkam residents seek subway or foot overbridge

K. Manikandan

Safe crossing of railway tracks dominates Alandur Municipal Council meet

ON THE WRONG TRACK: Pedestrians crossing the railway track at Adambakkam, unmindful of the risk. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM : The issue of safe crossing of the railway track at Adambakkam has councillors of the Alandur Municipality at loggerheads.

On Monday, councillors belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its ally Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam walked out of the routine meeting protesting the inability of the local body to build a subway there.

Municipal Chairman R.S. Bharathi said senior officials of Southern Railway had recently visited the spot and a feasibility report for a limited use pedestrian subway was being prepared. He also pointed out that as sewers and water supply lines passed through the area, which was rocky, they had to be taken into consideration. The Municipality could contribute Rs. 25 lakh for a subway or could fund the project entirely under a scheme of Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission.

Foot over bridge

Residents of Adambakkam have for long been demanding the construction of a foot over bridge or a pedestrian subway to replace the railway level crossing (LC No.15) near the St. Thomas Mount railway station. The level crossing was abandoned following the construction of a road under bridge at the adjacent level crossing (LC No. 16) some years ago.

Since then, several pedestrians have been hit by trains while crossing the track at this point.

The shortcut across the track helps pedestrians avoid a circuitous route of more than one kilometre. As the area is dotted with schools, thousands of students cross the track at this point apart from office-goers and shoppers.

During a census conducted in 2000, the flow of traffic in LC No. 15 was 1.85 lakh Train Vehicle Units, indicating the necessity for a subway or a bridge. Southern Railway built a compound wall at the site of the abandoned level crossing to prevent pedestrians from crossing the track, but residents demolished them.

During routine meetings of Alandur Municipality, there have been repeated demands for a subway or a foot over bridge. Meanwhile, V.Kuppan, secretary of Exnora Innovators Club, Adambakkam, has appealed to Alandur MLA and Labour Welfare Minister T.M.Anbarasan about the necessity for a subway that could also be used by cyclists.

Railway officials said that even if a subway were to be built, the cost had to be borne by the State government or other agencies and that it was not mandatory to put up an alternative pedestrian access wherever a level crossing was sealed.

However, the issue would be studied in detail and based on the necessity and urgency, a final decision would be taken, they said.

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