Chennai: Just hours after Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) train operations resumed on the Chintadripet-Beach section, passengers were dismayed to learn that trains would bypass Park Town, a crucial transit point for those connecting to Chennai Central. This left many, especially long-distance travellers, scrambling for alternative routes.
"We were forced to get down at Fort station and take an auto to Central. Even though it's just 1km away, we were forced to pay 100 because we couldn't risk missing our train to Madurai," said D Sumathy, a passenger who boarded at Velachery on Tuesday afternoon, after hearing the restoration news the night before.
Southern Railway officials said Park Town station remains under construction, affecting train stoppages. However, this excuse hasn't satisfied regular commuters. "This reflects poor planning by railway authorities. They've completed work at Fort, which is less congested, but left Park Town — the most critical station — unfinished," said K Baskar from the Railway Passengers' Welfare Association.
Baskar also raised concerns about the station's design. "The width of the under-construction Park Town platform is inadequate, especially since it's an island-type platform serving trains in both directions. Without widening it now, we'll see unmanageable congestion during peak hours," he warned.
Commuters have also pointed out the need to widen the pedestrian bridge connecting Park Town with Park station on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) line. During station redevelopment, the subway linking the two stations was demolished and replaced with a bridge, which many feel is too narrow to accomodate peak-time crowd.
Meanwhile, overcrowding on MRTS trains has already become an issue. The current 25-minute train frequency is proving insufficient, with passengers urging Southern Railway to increase it to 10-15 minutes during peak hours to ease the pressure.