Commuters at the Chennai Central railway station will soon have a new air-conditioned waiting hall to escape the city’s searing heat.
Southern Railway, which established an air-conditioned waiting hall at the Central station a few years ago, has now planned to expand it, as the existing facility has been running at full capacity.
A senior official from the Chennai division of Southern Railway said that a contract to upgrade the retiring rooms along with dormitories has been awarded under the Renovate, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (ROMT) model. He added that passengers at the Central station have been enjoying the comfort of an executive lounge with modern amenities. This initiative aims to further improve passenger comfort and convenience at major suburban and intercity stations, the senior official added.
Officials have also been expanding the air-conditioned waiting hall concept to a few other important railway stations in the city, with the latest being Tambaram station. A newly upgraded air-conditioned waiting hall was inaugurated there on March 13. With the opening of the air-conditioned hall at Tambaram, such facilities are now available at Central, Egmore, Katpadi, Tiruvallur, and Mambalam railway stations.
