Renovation at British-era Vellore Cantonment railway station nearing completion
Major works such as flooring, installing LED streetlights, and shelters for commuters completed; landscaping, painting, and dedicated parking lots under progress, says railway officials
The work aims to provide airport-like features such as separate arrival and departure corridors.
The year-long renovation work at the Vellore Cantonment railway station, a British-era facility, is nearing completion, with major works such as flooring, installing LED streetlights, and shelters for commuters on the platforms completed.
The railway officials said that the restoration work, undertaken after many years under the Station Redevelopment Project, aims to provide better amenities including airport-like features such as separate arrival and departure corridors, LED illumination, hassle-free access to platforms through escalators, lifts and skywalks, and a rainwater harvesting system.
“Once the work is completed by the next two months, the station will attract more commuters due to the increased basic amenities,” S. Manibhushan, Railway Station Manager, told The Hindu.
The officials said 52 LED lights were installed on platforms 2 and 3, where most of the express trains from Villupuram to Tirupathi section halt. Tiled flooring of the two platforms were completed. Each platform, on an average, is 496-metre-long. Existing 25 granite benches were being re-fixed on these platforms.
Five broad shelters with benches are also being installed. Each shelter is 16-metre-long and can accommodate at least 50 persons at a time.
The ticket counter area, which is around 2,500 sq. ft, at the entrance of the railway station is refurbished with granite flooring, LED lights and digital information boards displaying train timings. Disabled-friendly washrooms, purified drinking water system and solar power panels are also set up.
“Currently, work on landscaping, painting, and dedicated parking lots for streamlined movement of vehicles and pedestrians on exclusive lanes are under progress,” officials said.
Tucked between major railway junctions like Katpadi and Tiruvannamalai, the Vellore Cantonment station, which was established in the late 19th century, covers around 36 acres behind Corporation headquarters on Infantry Road.
The station, one of the oldest in the region, handles only around 25 trains, mostly express and passenger trains, and over 1,000 passengers daily. As many trains operate between Villupuram and Tirupati railway stations, most of the commuters are pilgrims to the Tirupati and Arunchalaeswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai.
Opening of the new building, especially the ticket counter area and conversion of the broad-gauge section between Vellore Cantonment and Katpadi stations in November 2008 was the last major upgradation work done at the railway station.
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