CHENNAI: IT is a daily struggle for elderly and persons with disability (PwDs) accessing the Tambaram station, as they have to climb the daunting stairs or use escalators they are highly uncomfortable with.
Tambaram, credited as the southern gateway to the city, is the third major station in Chennai after Central and Egmore. It handles more than 200 local EMU trains per day, besides several long-distance express and passenger trains.
V Santhanam (78), of Chrompet and the president of Chrompet Rail Users Forum recalled how despite several consultations with railways, proposals for lifts weren’t floated. “Unlike escalators, lifts don’t require much space and are of tremendous help when the station is crowded,” he said. When contacted, station officials acknowledged the difficulty. “There is a trolley path, aiding the movement of the disabled, from the Tambaram west end. The same path needs to be provided from the east as well,” an official told Express.