Chennai, 26 October (H.S.) : Rail passengers utilizing two of Chennai’s busiest terminals, Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations, will soon benefit from dedicated, comfortable waiting spaces as the Southern Railway prepares to introduce Yatri Suvidha Kendras at both locations. These free-of-cost permanent holding areas are designed to enhance passenger comfort and significantly improve crowd management at major railway junctions.

The Southern Railway has selected four stations in total for this initiative: Chennai Central, Egmore, Coimbatore junction, and Ernakulam junction. This effort is part of a larger plan by the Indian Railways to construct Yatri Suvidha Kendras in 76 railway stations across the country. The first facility was recently opened at New Delhi railway station, which has the capacity to accommodate 7,000 passengers at a time.

A senior railway official attached to the Southern Railway confirmed the scope and features of the new facilities. 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, the official stated. They further explained that these Yatri Suvidha Kendras would be free of cost and equipped with essential basic amenities, including toilets, drinking water, and digital signboards.

Beyond the basic utilities, the Kendras will feature improved infrastructure such as polished floors, passenger-friendly helpdesks, and automatic ticket vending machines aimed at replacing traditional long queues.

For real-time information, there will be a public announcement system and LED information displays providing live train updates. Safety and security are also a key focus, with the inclusion of fire-fighting units, CCTV coverage, luggage scanners, and metal detectors within the facility.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary