Rain Makes New Granite Floor Slippery After Chennai Park Station Inauguration
On Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the redeveloped Chennai Park railway station on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram suburban line, but sudden rainfall immediately turned the brand-new granite flooring slippery, causing safety concerns for commuters. The virtual ceremony, held around 4:20 PM from Jalandhar Cantt station in Punjab, was live-streamed at the station's Platform 1A with Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar in attendance.
The station was upgraded at a cost of Rs 14.79 crore under the national Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to improve facilities for approximately 29,000 daily passengers. The extensive renovation work included a new entrance canopy, a tower, modern signages, a new booking office, resurfaced flooring, additional platform shelters, and a complete roof replacement. Two newly commissioned lifts for the foot over bridge and dedicated pedestrian walkways were also added to connect the MRTS platform and the Central Metro station.
However, as the inauguration took place, a sudden drizzle turned the newly laid granite flooring on portions of platforms 1A, 1, and 2 slippery. Because these areas lacked overhead cover, rainwater accumulated quickly. At Platform 1A, where the official event was being held, sanitary workers were seen continuously mopping the floor to clear the stagnant water.
The slippery conditions extended to the staircase connecting the platforms through the foot over bridge, where rainwater entered from the sides due to a lack of shelter. Commuters including Krishna Priya, T Dhanush, and R Sampath reported having to walk with extreme caution to avoid falling on the wet granite stairs. Additionally, passengers pointed out that the walls along the walking area of the foot over bridge remained worn out, with exposed bricks, steel rods, and rusted metal visible.
When questioned about the slippery flooring, a Southern Railway spokesperson stated that the flooring had been laid in accordance with standards after undergoing proper testing.
