Madurai Junction redevelopment reaches 50% completion

Madurai: The redevelopment of Madurai Junction railway station, being carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 347.47 crore, has reached 50% completion, according to Southern Railway.The Railway Protection Force (RPF) canteen, the east-side multi-level two-wheeler parking facility, and the west-side multi-level car parking facility have already been completed.

Construction of the east terminal building is progressing in three segments. Structural work in Segment I has been completed, with finishing works underway. About 80% of the structural work in Segment II and 60% in Segment III have also been completed.At the west terminal building, 167 of the planned 203 pile foundations have been completed. In Segment I, the ground floor, mezzanine floor and first-floor roof slab are complete.

In Segment II, the ground floor and mezzanine floor slabs have been completed, while shuttering and reinforcement work for the ground-floor roof slab is underway in Segment III.The air concourse has achieved around 50% progress, with steel fabrication for the superstructure in progress.For the parcel foot overbridge (FOB), substructure work has been completed across all platforms. Superstructure works, including stanchion erection, girder launching and deck slab construction, are in progress, along with lift headroom works.

The existing steel FOB is also being revamped. Substructure work for staircases and escalators has been completed on all platforms, while structural steel fabrication is underway. Foundation work for a new staircase on Platform 6 of the existing concrete FOB is also in progress.Structural work for the subway within the railway boundary has been completed. Utility shifting and rerouting are underway outside the railway premises before the erection of precast boxes.Stage I of the east-side multi-level car parking project, covering nearly half of the total area, has been structurally completed. Foundation work for the remaining portion and shifting of railway offices are in progress.Platform upgrades, construction of new ground-level reservoirs, an electrical substation, and development of a surface parking area near the east-side two-wheeler parking facility are also progressing.Following an inspection of Madurai Junction, Southern Railway general manager R N Singh conducted a trailing window inspection between Madurai Junction and Rajapalayam. He also reviewed the redevelopment work at Rajapalayam railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.In a letter to Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, Singh said four new elevators have been sanctioned for Tambaram railway station, with completion targeted for March 2027.

“Work on providing pathways to connect the new Foot Over Bridge from the east entrance commenced. The project includes two-lane carriageways with adequate lighting and dedicated pedestrian walkways up to the bus stand. The work at the east entrance was expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

An approach to the new Foot Over Bridge on the west side, from GST Road, was also planned. The plan included an entry from GST Road with facilities to ensure smooth traffic flow up to the drop-off point of the new Foot Over Bridge, along with parking facilities. A pedestrian walkway connecting the old station building to the new Foot Over Bridge was also included in the plan,” Singh said.