On a sunny Sunday afternoon, a joint family of 16, including five children and two elderly women, arrived at the Nellore railway station in Andhra Pradesh, in three auto-rickshaws. Their much anticipated weeklong trip to Hyderabad faced an immediate hurdle: their special train was indefinitely delayed.
The station was bustling with hundreds of passengers, many of them unable to find seating space on the platform or waiting halls, due to ongoing redevelopment works. Amid this chaos, the 16-member family spread a bedsheet on the platform floor as they waited inordinately for their train.
“Our train was delayed by nearly five hours,” says Shaik Azam, 60, a member of the family and a local trader. “Platforms 2-3 have no toilets, so we had to use the one in the general waiting hall on platform 1. Some others answered nature’s call in the open spaces. There was no water at the kiosks on platforms 2-3. We were forced to buy mineral water to even wash our hands,” he says.
The station’s condition has remained unchanged for the past couple of years, with minimal improvements aside from the occasionally functioning escalators, he rues. “The railway authorities have also failed to provide basic facilities like water and seating given the long pending redevelopment works.”
Frustration over inadequate amenities is shared by all passengers at Nellore, a Non-Suburban Grade-3 railway station under the administrative jurisdiction of South Central Railway (SCR). Despite being selected for the Adarsh Station Scheme, aimed at upgrading 1,253 stations across the country, the basic amenities remain unavailable.
As part of the ‘Redevelopment of Railway Stations’ project by the Union Ministry of Railways to offer world-class amenities to rail commuters, the SCR initiated the upgradation of Nellore station in August 2022.
The station, located on the Howrah-Chennai line established during the British era in 1899 and electrified in 1981, lies along the significant Grand Trunk route connecting Ongole, Guntur, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and other major stations in Andhra Pradesh. Many passengers use this station for medical, educational, devotional, leisure, and business travel.
According to officials, the station handles nearly 40,000 passengers daily, with numbers rising significantly during the summer season. Every day, 140 trains, including 132 express trains, six passenger trains, and two EMU (electric multiple unit)/ DMU (diesel multiple unit) trains, pass through the station.
Major overhaul
The station is being upgraded to provide world-class amenities with elegant features, say SCR officials. The new building (G+3 floors) is being constructed on the west side, while existing buildings on the east side (G+3) and north side (G+2) are being extended to meet the needs of rail users. The refurbishment and facade improvements of the buildings are also under way.
No arrangement for ceiling fans at the temporary waiting hall on platforms 2-3.
| Photo Credit:
KOMMURI SRINIVAS
The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the station upgrade was awarded to the Hyderabad-based joint venture SCL-GCPL at a cost of ₹102.04 crore. The design submitted by the agency was proof-checked by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras. About 250 metric tonnes of steel were procured for construction purposes.
Work commenced two years ago. So far, the construction of site offices, a concrete testing lab, storage sheds for materials, temporary sheds for the railway court and Government Railway Police offices, and a dozen ‘cover over platform’ (COP) pedestals on four platforms were completed.
“Almost all the platforms have COP, but a major part of platform 4 remains uncovered. Although the covers were arranged on platforms 1, 2 and 3, some parts have been removed due to ongoing redevelopment and will be reinstalled after the work is completed,” explains an SCR official.
The project was scheduled for completion by May 2024, but it has been dragging on. Only the dismantling of old structures and excavation work completed so far. The authorities say that the upgrade is expected to be completed by November this year, but going by the current pace of works, it is likely to take another year at the very least. As a part of the redevelopment works, a sewage treatment plant of 870 kilo litre per day capacity is planned and the work is in progress. Another major green initiative on the cards is the proposed solar plant with a capacity of 25 kilowatt at the railway station.
One too many shortcomings
The delays in the ongoing works have been causing great inconvenience to passengers.
Although railway authorities have set up two temporary waiting halls with seating arrangements on platforms 2 and 3, the facilities fall short. The station does not have benches or chairs, which could have been arranged with funds under the MPLAD Scheme (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) for passengers at railway stations, says K.Padma, a 42-year-old waiting for her train to Chennai last Sunday. “I suffer from knee pain and am unable to stand for long. With no bench or chair in sight, I sat down on the steps of the foot overbridge,” she adds.
An uncovered portion of platforms 2-3.
| Photo Credit:
KOMMURI SRINIVAS
Former Nellore MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy did not allocate any funds for improving facilities at the railway station, citing a lack of funds, allege local residents. The current MP, Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, plans to use MPLAD funds to address other issues. “The Central government is already investing heavily for the development of the railway station. I will be utilising the MPLAD funds for the construction of internal roads and to address drinking water crisis,” he says.
The fans, too, are not functional, making it suffocating for passengers, especially during the day. Moreover, the two halls are insufficient to accommodate the high volume of passengers on platforms 2-3.
Even though the newly installed escalators and lifts at the station are in perfect working condition, many may wrongly believe they are out of service. This confusion is due to the authorities switching them off for extended periods to deter children from playing on and misusing the equipment, thereby causing inconvenience to elderly and differently abled passengers.
Despite having four platforms, many trains heading both north and south stop primarily at platform 2-3. The general waiting hall on platform 1 has a seating capacity of around 18-20 people, but passengers avoid it due to the stinking bathrooms close by. At night, beggars and stray dogs are often found sleeping there.
Raghunath Reddy, 36, who works with a local mining firm, complains about the absence of enquiry staff at night. “There was no announcement about the late-running train. When I went to platform 1 to check the train’s status, I found the enquiry counter empty. Finally, an employee at the ticketing counter responded to my query,” he says.
He also recalls witnessing an assault near the station. “I saw a group of four assaulting a youth. I did not interfere, but it is the duty of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to handle such incidents, but they were not present. I secretly recorded the fight on my phone and posted it on social media, hoping it will help the RPF curb such incidents in future.” Zakir, a 20-year-old student from Kanuparthipadu in Nellore, says, “Not a single mobile phone charging socket is working on any of the four platforms. The few plug points in the general waiting hall are also unreliable. Besides, there is no Wi-Fi connectivity for passengers. While there is a bike parking facility, it is covered with only a green sheet instead of a proper roof which is necessary at least during monsoon.”
Despite having four platforms, many trains heading both north and south stop primarily at platform 2-3.
| Photo Credit:
KOMMURI SRINIVAS
Many passengers have complained about the lack of amenities such as a cloakroom, dormitory, food stalls, first-aid kits, wheelchairs, a medical shop, and refreshment rooms. They also expressed concerns over inadequate safety measures, citing examples like electricity wires hanging inside the platforms.
‘Work on track’
In a statement issued recently, SCR general manger Arun Kumar Jain emphasised the importance of “meticulous execution at every stage” to ensure timely completion of the station redevelopment works. He also instructed the project team to carry out the works by taking all necessary safety precautions, while ensuring least inconvenience to the rail users.
The redeveloped station, according to Jain, will have a range of modern amenities designed to enhance passenger experience including spacious waiting areas, state-of-the-art digital information displays, advanced security systems and green building practices.
Responding to complaints about the delay in the redevelopment of the station, SCR chief public relations officer Rakesh Ch. says, “The redevelopment work is progressing according to the milestones outlined in the agreement and is expected to be completed by November. There has been no cost overrun in the project.”
He, however, admits that some passenger amenities have been temporarily disrupted due to ongoing redevelopment at the station. “But alternative arrangements have been made. Precautionary measures, such as providing sturdy barricades around the work sites and making frequent announcements about the progress, are in place for the convenience of passengers.”
The agency entrusted with the renovation project did not respond to calls regarding the delay in works.
Addressing the lack of seating and drinking water facilities at the station, Rakesh states, “Two temporary waiting halls have been constructed on platform 2-3. Water taps that were disturbed will be replaced once the work is completed. Water vending machines have been made available. Stall owners have also been instructed to always ensure adequate supply of water.”
He further assures that there is no staff shortage at the railway station. Asked about the absence of night shift officials at the enquiry counter, he says, “The staff are assigned for ticketing, enquiry, and announcements. Facilitators are available with automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) for issuing tickets on both the east and west terminals.” At night, one counter operates for both ticketing and enquiry on both the east and west sides, he explains. “There are no restrictions on food vendors during the night either. The RPF personnel have been instructed to prevent begging in the railway carriage or any part of the station. The on-duty RPF staff conduct night patrols to address this issue.”
SCR additional general manager R. Dhananjayulu, along with additional divisional railway manager Srinivasa Rao Konda, recently reviewed the progress of the redevelopment works at Nellore railway station. They directed officials to expedite the pending tasks and enquired about the status of passenger amenities, traffic facilities, and extended subway works at the station.
Meanwhile, the Nellore railway station manager has initiated measures to prevent stray dogs from entering the premises, coordinating with municipal corporation officials in this regard.