New escalator on platform no. 1 to start operation from November
Jamshedpur: The much-awaited escalator resumed operation at the Tatanagar railway station on Monday, bringing much welcomed relief to the passengers, especially senior citizens.
The moving stairs platform no. 3 had stopped functioning on September 6 after a mishap in which a woman passenger was injured. Railway sources said a team of officials from Garden Reach, headquarters of South Eastern Railway had inspected the escalator project on October 21 before giving green signal for resuming operation.
Senior divisional commercial manager of Chakradharpur division, Bhaskar, who is also the railway spokesperson said, ” After thorough inspection we have allowed the escalator on platform no. 3 to resume operation from 11 am. The other escalator on platform no. 1 would start operation in the first week of November.”
According to the railway spokesperson, Garden Reach had certified the technical aspects of the escalator.
“A total of 32 equipment of the escalator were examined. The team certified the equipment and gave a go ahead nod for resuming the escalator service on platform no. 3 ,” he said.
The passenger-friendly project, which would help elderly, had missed three deadlines in the past. The installation work of the escalator began in July last year and was expected to complete in December that year. The escalators have been imported from China. The escalator project at Tatanagarrailway station is estimated to cost over Rs 1.5 crore.
” We were trying to complete the project bit it has got delayed due to some reasons. We have set a new deadline of November first week as it was impossible to complete the work before that. We are confident to make the entire projects functional by then,� said an official.
Platform No. 1 will be equipped with an escalator ( or moving stairways ) , a lift and a ramp. Platform Nos. 2 and 3 will have ramps while the rest two platforms — 4 and 5 will have the facility of a lift and a staircase. The total project is estimated to cost over Rs 2 crore. Tatanagar, the second busiest station of South Eastern Railway, will be the second to boast the escalator facility. Howrah station in Bengal, the busiest on the South Eastern Railway network, has escalators connecting its old and new complexes. The facility was introduced in 2011.