Wait in peace: Central, Egmore to get Yatri Suvidha Kendra
Besides Chennai Central and Egmore, Coimbatore junction and Ernakulam junction have also been chosen for the facility.
Representative Image
CHENNAI: Rail passengers boarding from Chennai Central and Egmore stations will soon get a peaceful wait for trains at no extra cost with the Southern Railway set to get Yatri Suvidha Kendras at four stations.
Yatri Suvidha Kendras are a permanent holding area offering basic amenities at major railway stations for passenger comfort and crowd management.
Besides Chennai Central and Egmore, Coimbatore junction and Ernakulam junction have also been chosen for the facility.
"This initiative will help manage crowds especially in stations with high footfall. The facility would help to accommodate around 4,000 people, and each kendra will be constructed taking into account the footfall. Yatri Suvidha Kendras are free of cost. They will have basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, digital signboards, etc.," said a senior railway official attached to the Southern Railway.
The facility would include polished floors, automatic ticket vending machines to replace the long queues once familiar to passengers and passenger-friendly helpdesks. There would also be public announcement system, LED information displays providing real-time train updates. Safety infrastructure includes fire-fighting units, CCTV coverage, luggage scanners, and metal detectors.
The Indian Railways is planning to construct Yatri Suvidha Kendras in 76 railway stations across the country. In south-western railway SMVT Bengaluru, Yesvantpur, Mysuru, Krishnarajapuram and in south central railway, Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Guntur, Kacheguda, Rajankundry stations would also get the facility.
The first one in the country was opened at New Delhi railway station in October and it can accommodate 7,000 passengers at a time.
HOLDING AREA
The facility will accommodate around 4,000 people and each kendra will be constructed taking into account the footfall
The kendras can be accessed free of cost; will have basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, digital signboards
In Under the Southern Railway, the kendras will come up at Chennai Central, Egmore, Coimbatore Junction and Ernakulam Junction stations
