Commuters have to cross the tracks to buy tickets.photo: G. Krishnaswamy
Residents of Guduvanchery have requested Southern Railway to open an additional ticket counter at platform number two of Guduvanchery railway station. At present, the station has only one ticket counter at platform number one, near the entrance.
Commuters from Madambakkam, Adhanur, Sadhasivam Nagar and Mohanapriya Nagar have to cross railway tracks twice, first to buy tickets and then to board trains to Chennai Beach, Guindy or Chennai International Airport, from the second platform.
Though...
more... there is a foot overbridge connecting platforms one and two, commuters seldom use it as stray dogs have ‘taken over’ the facility. Besides, men in inebriated condition often occupy the staircases of the foot overbridge.
Regulars complain that due to a hike in MTC fares, the number of people taking suburban trains from this station has swelled, resulting in a long queue at the lone ticket counter.
“If a counter is opened at platform number two, it will benefit residents of Madambakkam, Aadhanur and other interior areas immensely,” says Prakash, a resident of Madambakkam.
In addition, a small lane abutting Guduvanchery Eri, which connects with the station, must be bitumen-topped and streetlights must be installed. In the absence of lights, it becomes risky for commuters to use the road at night. During monsoon, the road becomes too slushy and slippery.