Passenger amenities, including drinking water, seating arrangements, public announcement system, waiting hall and general cleanliness, came under the scanner at the Katpadi and Jolarpet railway stations on Thursday during a surprise visit by the Additional Divisional Railway Managers (ADRMs), Southern Railway.
Making their third surprise visit in a month, ADMRs Subramanian and Sachin Punita inspected the basic commuter facilities available in these stations.
Accompanied by D. Marlon Prabhu, Deputy Station Manager (Commercial), Katpadi Station Manager K. Ravidranath explained various steps taken by the staff to ensure that the commuters have pleasant experience. “On an average, 500 commuters use the railway station every day. The station has an adequate surveillance system to ensure safety,” he said.
Located in between Jolarpet and Arakkonam stations, the Katpadi railway station has at least 15 stations, including Walajah Road Junction, Arcot, Sholinghur, Tiruvalam, Mukundarayapuram and Chitteri, within its limits. These stations are patrolled by 50 Railway Protection Force personnel on a rotational basis daily.
Special police teams were also deployed at emerging transit stations like Ranipet and Gudiyatham, especially after the lockdown restrictions were eased. Every day, more than 150 trains use the Katpadi railway station.
Later in the day, the two-member inspection team also visited the Jolarpet railway station, inspecting the renovated health unit and the running room at the station.