Chennai Egmore Railway Station

Such an important station is Egmore. Not even a single platform is fully covered with overhead shelter, because of which during rainy times, people have to walk in rain carrying baggages.
Secondly no ramp is provided. People have to carry baggages through the steps. At least one ramp may be provided in the eastern side. The available space has been let out for shops, instead of increasing the amenities for passengers like constructing ramp. I can not give more than 2 rating for this station.

Chennai Central station And Problems :
1. Crowd in central : The unmanageable crowd contributes to the cause of crime ; we had seen reports of a 4 year old being abducted. We see many people sleeping in the central foyer reducing the path for the passengers wheeling their baggage. This crowd could be Decongested :
a)Make trains to stop in thickly populated areas like Perambur, Villivakkam[or Koratur], Ambattur Some trains stop in Perambur and one third the crowd gets down. One or 2 more stops before Chennai central Stops will facilitate the passengers living in western suburbs like Mogappair Aannanagar, k.k.Nagar, poonamallee , Porur to reach home early ;and also reduce the crowd at the central station by more than 60 % from the train. Like wise the out bond trains also can be made to stop on the way to pick up passengers. This is being done in Bangalore city and in Kerala cities .In Bangalore city , Cantonment, Bangalore east , K.R.Puram some trains stop. Before Ernakulam ,many trains stop at Angamally, Aluva and Idapally. At the same time even superfast trains stopping for signal near and before the central station for line or platform clearance . With electric Engines each stop may not cause more than 5 minutes, so railways can make it possible. May be railways will have to lengthen the platforms to accommodate the long passenger trains.
b)The entry the gates are not manned sufficiently to stop un authorize people walking in and out. Now that the Platform ticket fares is to go up to Rs. 5 /= railways can have more staff to man the gates which will give safety to the genuine passengers. People visiting the toilet is another reason for crowd
c) Some time back we had witnessed in Bangalore and Chennai the police driving away the unauthorized from station remises. Once the police stop patrolling regularly, the crowd is back again. The regulation that the travelling passengers should remain in the station just 2 hours before or after the departure or arrival should also be strictly enforced. R.P.F. assistance may be required here. I railways is short of staff why not monitor at least in the peak hours, 22.00 to 06.00 hours.
2. a)Haggling with auto rickshaw owners/ drivers is big problem . No one runs by the meter . It should be the responsibility of the railways to see that organized transport system is offered to the rail passengers ; Egmore railway station has a Police booth that maintains a Queue where they ensure that autos which run by meter are ensured for the passenger. Central also should follow the example of Egmore .
b)As an alternative transport Buses are available from Central railway station ; but only towards the southern destinations like Adayar, Thiruvanmiyur . WHY NOT ADD BUSES TOWARDS THE WESTERN DESTINATIONS LIKE ANNANAGAR, MOGAPPAIR ,POONAMALLEE . The passengers TRAVELLING TO THESE DESTINATIONS HAVE TO CROSS THE ROAD AND WALK QUITE A DISTANCE TO PARK STATION TO TAKE THE BUS. The A/C buses which don’t have much patronage except in very few routes can be utilized here in the early hours for the western Destinations . They should not have restricted stops as passengers will be with their baggage. The buses should stop at all the stops.
3. The huge number of EMU commuters from the terminus keep crossing the approach road twice, causes huge traffic logjam . The taxis that come to drop long distance rail passengers had to wait in a long Queue even as early as 5.20 A.M. This is not good for the passengers who have to reach the platforms in time to entrain. A direct skywalk / ramp /escalators from the EMU station to the MAIN road and across the main road should be the solution to save time for the thousands of commuters and the passengers travelling by taxis. This could be done over the scooter / two wheeler stand. Just adjacent to the EMU terminus.
4. Littering of rubbish in the tracks and defecating in the parked compartment toilets in the station causes that characteristic railway station stink . There is no point allowing people to do it and then making the staff to clean it. There was already suggestions in these columns to make the conservancy workers to utilize for prevention ; as they spend a portion of their time doing prevention work their time getting into the tracts to clean with hose water will be reduced. This will also reduce usage and save water.
5.When one looks through the windows of the retiring room corridor in Central station , the sunshade is filled with plastic bottles and trash . Provide sufficient bins and make the staff monitor any throwing through the corridor window. Central station is a beautiful structure built in Indo saracenic style of architecture. It is yet so close to the seat of power of the southern Railways.
6. A major railway station no doubt always is crowded with cars and cabs vying for a place to park. As there is shortage of place we see the roads leading outside are clogged with cars. Imagine some elder citizen to be accompanied to the platform by the driving relative. He /she has to find a place to park , park the vehicle and then accompany the elders to the platforms.
RAILWAYS MAY TAKE SOOME TIME FOR BIG EXPENSES BUT OTHER SUGGESTIONS CAN BE ATTENNDED TO IMMEDIATELY.

------- Edited on 2017-11-18 -------

Indications for escalators should be there so that passengers don't walk the wrong directions .

These are the points for the improvement of Railway station and area around Station
1Unauthorised persons in Railway stations.
2.RPF must be held responsible if any theft takes place in platform
3Aadhar Card Number(which need not be displayed in the chart on the platforms) for each group of 4 persons or less should be made mandatory
4.Provision of Bus/auto/Taxi services from all the Railway stations at the fixed cost (stipulated by Rly & State Govt.) so that the passengers are not duped at the destination where they have no control over the situation.
5.Adequacy of space to receive passengers at any particular time, adequate resting/waiting facilities to be given to en training passengers.
6..Clean maintenance of Waiting places and provision of clean protected water& snacks for waiting passengers.
7. ensure that the Rly. platforms are meant for passengers only and not for storing parcels hindering the smooth and safe movement of passengers.
8.Whether adequate lights are provided during night time for the safety.
9.Whether proper Taxi Stand/Auto rickshaw stand are properly maintained by Local Police authorities and the passengers are not fleeced unnecessarily, and they are taken to their destination without problem and safely. PREPAID AUTOS AND TAXIS should be encouraged and arrangements should be made with the assistance of Local Government. For this Railway authorities should convene meetings with State Government authorities and such meetings should be convened at least once in a year.
10.whether State Government have made adequate arrangements to bring the City Buses which touches all the parts of the city, and correct schedule of timings are adopted and this schedule is coordinated with train arrival timings.
11To ensure whether private vehicles are allowed inside the Rly. premises just to drop the passengers and not to retain the vehicles for long time in view of hindrance

Trollys for the use of Passengers may be provided.