In the next two or three years, the experience of boarding trains and using a railway station will get exciting in many places across the state. Southern Railway is speeding up work to redevelop 11 stations to offer passengers an airport-like experience. The Kanyakumari railway station will be the first to get swanky terminal buildings, a roof plaza, a second entrance, and better integration with the city.
Railways have started a soil investigation at the site after completing the topographical survey at Kanyakumari. With the design, reflecting the local cultural theme, ready and a contract awarded, the redevelopment work of the station will be completed in 19 months. The other stations to be developed are Rameswaram at 90.20crore, Madurai at 347.47crore, Egmore at 842crore, and Katpadi. Contracts will be awarded this year to redevelop Kumbakonam, Tirunelveli, Tambaram, MGR Central, Avadi, and Coimbatore. The work will be completed in 2026.
In Kanyakumari, a new road connecting NH 27 on the eastern side and NH 44 on the western side of the station will be built. There will also be a foot-over bridge connecting all the platforms, an arrival and departure forecourt, a concourse with waiting area, and a commercial area. All will be built for 49.36 lakh.
Much of the preliminary work has been completed at Madurai and Rameswaram. Madurai, which handles 96 trains per day and an average of 51,296 passengers per day, will get two terminals, three multi-level parking buildings, a subway connecting the Periyar bus stand and two skywalks connecting the parking facilities. Rameswaram, with an average footfall of 9,000 passengers per day, will also get two terminals with a roof plaza.
Under the Amrit Bharat station scheme, around 15 railway stations have been identified in each of the six divisions in the zone for an upgrade.
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