No subway, staircases at Tambaram, Chromepet put commuters at risk

By admin on May 18th, 2012 332 views

CHENNAI: The absence of staircases at the flyover in Tambaram and the delay in completion of a vehicular subway in Chromepet is forcing commuters to cross rail tracks at these places, at considerable risk. “Hundreds of people, including school children, cross the track daily,” said S Ramesh of Tambaram.

Of the 181 people killed on the tracks between Guindy and Chengalpet in 2011, one-fourth lost their lives on the line between Chromepet and Tambaram stations, railway saources said. Most of the victims were jaywalkers. Everyday, on an average, around 1.5 lakh commuters use the Tambaram station where around 280 suburban services are operated. The “movement of trains is almost non-stop at Tambaram. A pedestrian subway close to the station is needed,” said Tambaram municipality chairman M Karikalan.

There was no provision in the original plan for staircases at the flyover as there was no footpath at the station. “Without a pedestrian footpath, a staircase is of no use,” said a state highways official.

A pedestrian subway can be used by all, while a staircase is about nine metres tall and has around 40 steps which women and the elderly may find it difficult to climb. The two-lane flyover, jointly executed by Southern Railway and the highways department, is 3.2km long and 7.5 metres wide. On February 28, 2011, sections of the Rs 78-crore flyover on GST Road and Mudichur Main Road were opened. On August 16, the final portion, on Velachery Main Road, was opened, connecting East and West Tambaram.

The flyover, the fifth such facility built on the 15-km Guindy-Tambaram stretch in the past few years, is part of the railway’s gauge conversion scheme introduced in 1999 to reduce waiting time of trains, both suburban and express.

In Chromepet, the Rs 7.55-crore limited-use subway replacing a railway crossing has been stalled for more than three years after work began on February 27, 2009, due to land acquisition problems. Southern Railway completed its portion of the work a few days ago and constructed a wall on both sides to prevent misuse of the completed portions.

Objections by around 400 families, residing on either side of the level crossing, to give their land for the project has halted the work. “Around 2,835 sqft of land is needed to lay ramps and service roads,” said government sources. It was in 1998 that the railways decided to replace the level crossing with a subway. In 2008, the highways department was roped in and the project re-designed as a road under bridge (RUB) to allow all vehicles. In late 2008, following objections by the affected families, the Pallavaram municipality passed a resolution, changing it again into a limited-use subway, which would be 33 metres long, 8.3 metres wide and 3.5 metres high.