To facilitate easy movement of passengers, especially the elderly, sickly and persons with special abilities etc. from one platform to anotherplatform at Railway Stations and to enhance passenger comfort, SCR has embarked up on setting up of Escalators and Lifts in a big way at all major Stations on the Zone.
As part of this, Escalators are being set up on all the platforms at Secunderabad Railway Station in a phased manner. In the last few months, 5 Escalators have been commissioned for passenger use on platform Nos. 1, 6/7, 8/9 and 10 and the same are well received by the Public. The 6th Escalator on platform No.2/3 was opened for Public use on 6th June, 2013. Another Escalator on the remaining platform No. 4/5 will also be commissioned by this month end. With this, all the platforms at Secunderabad will have the facility of Escalators, being provided at an approximate cost of Rs. 6.75 Crs.
Keeping in view the heavy footfalls of passengers on platform No.1 and 10, which are the main entry/exit for Secunderabad Station, 2 Lifts are also being provided at these platforms at a cost of Rs. 78 Lakhs. The requisite works for commissioning of the Lifts are also nearing completion.
Three Escalators and two Lifts will also be provided soon at the other major passenger terminal of Kacheguda. These works at Kacheguda are estimated to cost Rs.3. 86 Crs.
So far 22 Lifts have been commissioned on the Zone at 10 Stations viz., Tirupati, Guntur, Chirala, Kakinada Town, Tenali, Nellore, Bhimavaram, Guntakal, Gudur and Samalkot at an approx. cost of Rs. 7.28 Crs. In addition, works are being taken up for provision of 40 more Lifts at 18 Stations at a cost of Rs. 12.98 Crs.
While 2 Escalators at Vijayawada, 1 at Tirupati and 6 Escalators at Secunderabad have so far been put into use on the Zone, action has already been initiated to expand this facility by providing 40 more Escalators at 19 Stations at an estimated cost of Rs. 33.42 Crs.
In tune with the SCR's priority of modernizing the passenger amenities at Stations, the progress of the works related to Lifts and Escalators as above is being closely monitored for their expeditious completion.
