While travelling to Chennai, many train passengers especially those working in the Ambattur Industrial Estate face issues as the trains do not stop at Ambattur station. Now, these persons have demanded the stopping of fast local trains at Ambattur railway station.
It must be taken into account that Ambattur railway station is an important station in the western Chennai. Every day, the footfall here is around 30,000. According to a daily traveller from Arakkonam to Ambattur, the fast local trains do not stop at the Ambattur railway station. He added that he had to get down at Thiruninravur or Villivakkam or Perambur and take other modes of transport to reach his workplace in Ambattur industrial estate. Point is that this not only increases travel time but also expenses.
Mr. L. Saravanan, coordinator of Ambattur rail commuter group, spoke about how in 2019 Ambattur got an experimental halt for Yelagiri and Sapthagiri express trains. He pointed out that after platform constraints the Southern Railways or SR discontinued the halt at Ambattur. It must be noted that the SR at that time mentioned that after the construction of the platform to accommodate 24 coaches it would provide a halt but it never implemented it.
Information is that Ambattur railway station comes under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme or ABSS. It is known to us that this scheme aims to improve the infrastructural amenities at the stations. It was brought out by some railway commuters that there is a lack of focus in improving the amenities at Ambattur station.
Concrete boxes were placed and subway works have been completed by SR but still the state govt has not begun its part of work even after a year. Mr. Saravanan explained that foot bridge extension from platform 2 and 3 to under construction platform 4 was asked but till now there has been no response from SR.