Chennai: At Chennai Beach railway station, lakhs of suburban passengers squeeze through narrow entry points every day, navigating piles of mud, construction equipment and debris, due to the redevelopment work underway. The city’s busiest suburban transit hub, which handles at least 240 services, remains in disrepair despite recording the highest daily footfall (around 2 lakh) among suburban stations in and around Chennai.The station operates services to Chengalpet, Tiruvallur, and other suburban sections, as well as MRTS trains to St Thomas Mount via Velachery.During a visit, TOI found construction material scattered near the two main entry and exit points on Rajaji Salai. At the main entrance, around 10 migrant workers were constructing a commercial space, while mud and equipment occupied parts of the premises. A large green sheet covered debris, including pipes, cement blocks and construction equipment.The second entrance, hardly 60m away on the same road, was equally congested, with at least 100 vehicles parked along Rajaji Salai. S Amudha, a regular commuter, said, “On Aug 15, the crowd was so heavy that there was almost a stampede-like situation. People were pushed against each other, especially when large groups got down from trains at the same time. With construction work and materials reducing the available space, there is no proper space for us to leave the station,” she said.TM Arun Kumar, a college student, said, “I live near Old Washermenpet. Every day, I come to the beach station around 7am and take the train to Kattankulathur. There is no designated bike parking area, so I end up parking my bike at the entrance. In the past month, I’ve paid ₹2,000 as fine. Railway officials should look into this issue.”T Prabhakaran, a former DRUCC member, said, “It used to be one of the most commute-friendly stations in the city limits. The Southern Railway cannot close the station for redevelopment because no other station can handle as many trains as Chennai Beach. This is the main reason why commuters have been made to suffer. The railways should have divided and executed the work in parts.”Railway officials said the ₹11-crore redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is being carried out with necessary safety precautions. Four new entry zones covering 550sqm are about 30% complete, while platform flooring work is 45% complete. A 648sqm parking area is also being developed.
