Central, Tiruttani, Sullurupeta railway stations to get air-conditioned waiting halls soon

Chennai's Central, Tiruttani, and Sullurupeta stations will soon feature air-conditioned waiting halls for enhanced commuter comfort.

Commuters at the Chennai Central railway station will soon have a new air-conditioned waiting hall to escape the city’s searing heat.

Southern Railway, which established an air-conditioned waiting hall at the Central station a few years ago, has now planned to expand it, as the existing facility has been running at full capacity.

A senior official from the Chennai division of Southern Railway said that a contract to upgrade the retiring rooms along with dormitories has been awarded under the Renovate, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (ROMT) model. He added that passengers at the Central station have been enjoying the comfort of an executive lounge with modern amenities. This initiative aims to further improve passenger comfort and convenience at major suburban and intercity stations, the senior official added.

Officials have also been expanding the air-conditioned waiting hall concept to a few other important railway stations in the city, with the latest being Tambaram station. A newly upgraded air-conditioned waiting hall was inaugurated there on March 13. With the opening of the air-conditioned hall at Tambaram, such facilities are now available at Central, Egmore, Katpadi, Tiruvallur, and Mambalam railway stations.

The Chennai Division has also proposed to create air-conditioned waiting halls at two more stations — Tiruttani and Sullurupeta — which were recently redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS).

These proposed facilities will include 42-inch LED televisions displaying train-related information, comfortable seating arrangements, refreshment stalls serving tea, coffee, and snacks, modernised restrooms, and a small pharmacy selling medicines that do not require prescriptions.