Century-old Vellore Cantonment railway station gets a new look

Vellore Cantonment railway station restored to original splendour with modern amenities under Station Redevelopment Project.

After more than a year of work, the Vellore Cantonment railway station has been restored to its original splendour with arched pillars, tiled floors and refurbished benches on platforms, digital timing boards, spacious parking lots and a wide lawn.

Railway officials said the restoration work had been undertaken after many years under the Station Redevelopment Project, which aims to provide better passengers amenities. “The cantonment railway station is a major landmark of the town after the fort complex. Pilgrims in the town board at the station to go to Tiruvannamalai and Tirupati,” S. Manibhushan, Station Railway Manager of the station, said.

At present, new LED streetlights on platform two and three have been installed. Tiled flooring of these two platforms where most of the express trains from Villupuram to Tirupathi section halt, have also been completed. Each platform, on an average, measures 496 metres long. Existing 25 granite seating benches on the platforms have been refurbished.

Old asbestos shelters have been replaced with new steel shelters in the platforms. Each shelter is 16 metres long and can accommodate at least 50 persons at a time. Benches were also provided on these shelters for commuters.

Ticket counter area, which is around 2,500 sq.ft, at the entrance of the railway station has been completely readied with granite flooring, LED lights and digital information boards about train timings. Wash rooms, purified drinking water system and solar power panels are also ready. Separate parking lots for cars and two-wheelers are in place.

Tucked between major railway junctions like Katpadi to the north and Tiruvannamalai to the south, the Vellore Cantonment, which was established in the late 19th century, covers around 36 acres behind Corporation headquarters on Infantry Road.

The station handles around 25 trains and has a footfall of over 1,000 passengers. The last major upgradation work was done in November 2008.