Commuters complain of difficulties in accessing Egmore railway station from north side

Commuters at Egmore railway station face challenges due to ongoing redevelopment, with limited access and inadequate signage.

CHENNAI: Commuters at the Egmore railway station are facing mounting challenges due to the ongoing redevelopment of the facility. Barricades have been erected across the station premises, and the building that previously housed ticket counters on the northern elevated entrance has been demolished.

Access from Poonamallee High Road, a key approach route to the station, has been significantly curtailed. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus stop that once stood along this road has been shifted closer to the Egmore Metro station entrance now. Commuters now have to alight at this relocated stop and walk a considerable distance along a winding ramp to reach the platforms—without the guidance of adequate signage.

“A regular commuter may somehow manage to find their way, but for first-time visitors, it’s very difficult,” said R. Kathiresan, a resident of Vepery who travels regularly to Tambaram. “There are no proper signboards to indicate where the ticket counters or platforms are. A lift is available, but it often malfunctions. Many people end up climbing the bridge and wandering near the demolished structure.”

Currently, ticket counters have been temporarily relocated to the junction of Poonamallee High Road and Annai EVR Maniammaiyar Salai, a considerable distance from the main station entrance. The area around the new counters is congested with haphazardly parked two-wheelers, leaving little space for commuters to either park their vehicles, or even get to the ticket counters.

“There is no designated parking for two-wheelers here,” said M. Shankar, another regular commuter. “One day, I had to park at the Metro Rail facility and pay ₹30, the irony is that my suburban train ticket itself costs only ₹10.”

The difficulties are not limited to commuters approaching from the northern side. Passengers entering from the southern side also face confusion, with many seen running across bridges in search of the now-defunct ticket counters.

A senior official from Southern Railway acknowledged the challenges and said that while efforts are being made to manage the situation, some level of inconvenience is inevitable during large-scale redevelopment works. “We request the cooperation of passengers during this period,” the official added.