DHARMAPURI: Renovation works by the South Western Railway at the Dharmapuri railway junction still remain incomplete after a year since it began. The commuters urged the SW railway to take steps to complete the work and improve the amenities.
In 2024, the South Western Railway announced its plans to improve amenities in the Dharmapuri Railway junction for Rs 23 crores under the 'Amrit Barath Station Scheme'. Following this, the renovation began earlier in January 2025, and so far, the works are still incomplete. The ongoing construction works, especially the pedestrian bridge and restroom renovation works, are causing severe inconvenience to commuters.
S Jayakumar, a resident of Dharmapuri, told TNIE, "There is a complete neglect on part of the South Western Railway. The Dharmapuri railway junction lies at the district headquarters and is a key junction visited by thousands of daily passengers, and the majority of interstate trains also pass through here. But the amenities in the junction are extremely lacking.
So, when the announcement for renovation came, we had been looking forward to the facilities. But it has been two years since the announcement of the project and a year since the renovations actually began. There has been little progress, and passengers arriving here are distressed by the lack of amenities."
Another resident, S Kumaresan from Dharmapuri, said, "Initially, 13 aspects of the railway station were proposed for development under the Amrith Barat Scheme. So far, not even one part of the development works is completed. The parking area, restrooms and even the pedestrian crossing are presently unusable and need renovation. Works have been going on for over a year, with little progress. Further, the railway doubling works between Hosur and Omalur are also not initiated, and the Morappur-Dharmapuri railway line is also at a standstill. SW Railway has been increasingly negligent."
TNIE reached out to the Assistant Divisional Engineer, K Vinay, for comment but he was not reachable.