No roof, Kollam railway station an ordeal for passengers

For the thousands of commuters travelling through Kollam railway station, the journey has become an obstacle course. Currently undergoing redevelopment work, the station has turned into a hub of inconveniences for commuters. While passengers are willing to make compromises for long-term development, the endless delays in basic construction have left them frustrated, demanding immediate temporary relief. Serving as a crucial transit point for over 100 trains daily, the station caters to an average of 55,000 passengers every day — a figure that swells by at least 20 per cent during busy festive seasons.

The temporary narrow pathways at the entry and exit points are pitch-dark even during daylight, making it near-impossible for commuters to navigate without bumping into one another. Several passengers have already suffered injuries after colliding with the steel support pillars. The situation deteriorates rapidly during power outages, and even a brief spell of rain leaves the walkway waterlogged and muddy. While local railway officials have proposed solutions to address this, the contracting company in charge of the redevelopment is yet to take any corrective action.

One of the most pressing grievances is the complete lack of roofing over extensive portions of Platform 1. During heavy downpours, passengers find themselves stranded at the central entry point, unable to walk to either end of the platform. Commuters boarding trains with specific coach allocations, such as the Vande Bharat, are forced to wait under the limited sheltered areas and sprint down the wet, slippery platform the moment the train arrives. The elderly are the worst affected, with no choice but to get drenched. Furthermore, despite an adequate supply of passenger benches, they cannot be laid out because the unsheltered areas expose them to the rain, while the sheltered sections are too narrow and must be kept clear for heavy parcel trolley movement.

While the original contract set a completion deadline for December 2025, the timeline has already been extended by another year to December 2026. However, even on-site railway officials, who do not want to be named, express doubts over whether the station will be fully ready in two years. Although the Southern Railway General Manager recently announced that 53 per cent of the work was complete, he also issued new directives to retain the existing foot overbridge and integrate it with the new terminal building, raising questions about further design changes. Adding to the frustration is the extreme centralisation of decision-making.

According to sources, local officials in Kerala are virtually powerless to implement even minor safety or convenience measures, with major updates and progress reports strictly monitored via weekly drone footage reviewed by senior bureaucrats in New Delhi.