CHITTOOR RAILWAY STATION BUILDING - LETS BRING SOME CHANGE

Dear Friends,

As part of ManaChittoor family, and as members of CRTA(Chittoor Rail Travelers Association) we have represented several problems and got them corrected with our team effort.


# Anyone who has visited CTO(Chittoor) station building might have observed that it has become very old and dilapidated. This has remained the same since the days of meter guauge. It just looks lika a village station from the looks of the building.

# Though CTO has become a major station with 56 trains running through it and earning good revenues, SCR has neglected about the state of CTO station building and Concourse.

# Even smaller stations of guntakal and also other divisions of SCR has got better buildings with good elevation etc.


* CTO has remained the same because of no representation from our city in any manner.

Now if you really want to change this, we all can bring some change by spending just "1" rupee each. SCR listens. Yes they really record if its from public and take action.

Just send SMS from your mobile phone (only one sms per number) to 8121281212 .Mention why CTO station building is neglected and facilities should be improved.


Pls dont forget to post your replies from railways in the comments section.

CHITTOOR RAILWAY STATION -A Transformation

(Photo Courtesy: Mr Sajjad Syed , Addittional Inputs from: Deepak & Praveen KS)

Here is the transformation of Chittoor Railway Station seen through pictures :

Chittoor has been an important railway station in madras presidency built and maintained by The Great South Indian Railway Company headquartered in Madras.

After independence the railway line and station were transferred to Indian railways. Due to geopolitical reasons development almost stalled for decades together. Only one express (Meenakshi) and 2-3 pairs of metre gauge passengers used to run in this line.



STATION ENTRANCE



The proposals for gauge conversion started in 1980s and continuously delayed till 2003 when finally it was completed and inagurated on August 22nd




AFTER BROAD GAUGE CONVERSION

 

As this line forms and important connection between North and South and reduces 51 KMS in distance the electrification work immediately started. Tata projects was awarded contract and electrification was finally completed in 2007 and was inagurated by Lalu Prasad Yadav on December 8th. Still the station lacked most of the facilities. The platforms 2/3 which had cover over platforms even during metre gauge period was left bland.




AFTER ELECTRIFICATION

 

Many long distance trains were diverted in this route. As the revenues incresed many fold, The Chittoor station was declared A class Commercial station.In the last 4 years Chittoor railway station has witnessed rapid transformation.

*The Cover over platforms was extended on Platform one, and also provided on  Platforms 2/3.

*The platform lighting was replaced by modern and efficient fluoroscent lights.

*Train information display boards and coach guidance boards are provided throughout the station.

*The jaggery godowns on railway station road were shifted, and new parks were developed on either side.



LALTEST PHOTOGRAPH



Around 40 trains run on this route daily. The proposals for doubling the track has already been submitted to railway board. Yet lot need to be done as only thing we are lacking is political will and support.

CRTA (Chittoor Rail Travellers Association) was formed for this purpose, and is a group of voluntary people from Chittoor, constatntly trying to update railway authorities regarding problems in Chittoor railway station and appealing for improved facilities. Currently we are trying for

1. Fast action for doubling the route.

2. The station building is same since independence. Nothing has improved even with incresed trains and subsequent passengers. The station building and circulating area needs lot of improvement.

3. Several trains including Madurai-Tirupati, Yeswantpur-Howrah, Rameshwaram-Okha via Shirdi, Tata-Yeswantpur donot have stoppage at Chittoor.

4. The reservation counter is very much crowded and is obstructing the passenger movement. It needs to be immediately shifted.

5. The platform edges are damaged and cracked. Anti slip Tiles needs to be immediately provided.





Those interested in joining CRTA, can write to ctrivenkatesh@manachittoor.com or can write their name and email id in comments section

If any of you feel to do something regarding, you can sms any of the above problems to 8121281212.

Once you get a response you can update all of us in comments secttion.)

Friends, if you like the article pls give your feedback in comments section.



Coach Indication boards Installed at Chittoor railway Station

*Atlast finally the efforts of CRTA(chittoor rail travellers asssociation) paid off. Finally after lot of deliberations coach indication boards along with At a glance boards and train information display boards are installed at chittoor railway station on all the three platforms.

*Coach indication boards are digital LED based boards which show the train details and exact position of each coach where its going to stop. So passengers can know their coach position even before train arrives and can avoid last minute running.

*CRTA has repeatedly petitioned Railway authorities since 2008 for this. Pls check the links given at the end of the post to follow the time line.

*Check out the pictures: (With dedicated effort by Praveen KS)

The official inaguration of this Integrated Train Information System is yet to be announced.




Check the links:
http://hichittoor.blogspot.com/2009/05/letter-to-railways.html

http://hichittoor.blogspot.com/2009/05/problems-persist-in-railway-station.html

http://hichittoor.blogspot.com/2010/06/railway-developments-in-chittoor.html

http://hichittoor.blogspot.com/2010/07/railways-and-delays.html

Railway-Updates from Chittoor

* 1.2 crores have been allotted by SCR for Provision of a Upper Class & General Waiting halls on the first floor of eisting station building. For this part of station building will be demolished.

* Improvement to platform surfaces, Platform shelters, provision of additional benches on platforms 1, 2&3 has been approved and tenders are to be opened on  19-September 2011.

* New weekly train from Mangalore to Howrah via Vijayawada, Vizag and Bubaneshwar will start from september.

*Divisional train enquiry system with touch screen facility will be provided nearer to main entrance to check PNR, Train Schedule, Coach position and Availability status.

*The provision of Coach guidance, Coach positioning LED boards on platforms 1, 2&3 is still continuing. This work is somehow being dragged since 2009. Once this is provided we can exactly know where our coach is going to stop and will be easier for  people with children and luggage.

* Chittoor-Nangili route survey is being done by SWR. If approved and constructed it will become another major route to bangalore, in addition to providing railway connection to palamner and mulbagal.

* The demands of second entrance towards RTC bus station and Second foot over bridge till RTC busstand road is still under consideration only


(With additional inputs from Praveen KS & Kumar PS)

RAILWAYS and DELAYS

Dear Friends,

As u have known, for my earlier SMS one month back regarding coach indication boards at chittoor station, the railways replied that tenders have been already discharged and work will be completed by September. 

But as you people would have noticed that the work has not even started in station. This tender wad finalised last year but no work initiation till now. So I got puzzled. SMSed back expecting a reply that a little more delay is expected etc etc 

But what i got was a shock. Now check the drama

Message : Sir, although the tender for led based coach indication boards has been discharged for CHITTOOR station, the work has not yet started.kindly rectify the delay

Registration Id : '1007180026'    Time stamp : 2010-07-18 12:06:45.0

S.No	ActionTaken
1	Due to modification in RDSO spec, the est are recasted and are under vetting. The tenders will be refloated and work will be taken on priority.

That means every thing is cancelled now  Now new tenders will be called up. Then tenders will have to be finalised. Then the contractor can start the work at snails pace at his will. We chittoreans will keep on waiting to see some basic development. 

This is always what is happening to works related to cto. 

Now our duty is to constantly put pressure on them till last board is fixed on cto railway platform. 

All we need is strenght of no's. So pls ask your friends and coworkers from Ctr to join our association. 

Yours sincerely

Venkatesh 

Latest Railway Developments in Chittoor

Friends, 

As you know earlier, our CHITTOOR station has been an A class staion since 2 yrs with annual earning more than 6 crores. But the facilities were not up to the name. 

I continuosly pestered railway authorities reg this thru emails, letters and SMS. Here are some of the responses from railways i got and I would like to share with u. 

1. Regular passengers using our rs might have observed that station name boards are absolutely not present on the platforms except at platform ends. So I wrote to railways and got the reply

 

Complaint: Sir, the station name indication boards are non existent on platforms in chittoor(cto) station. It is becoming very difficult for identifying station in the night from inside train.pls provide them at the earliest.

Registration Id : '1006010008'      Time stamp : 2010-06-01 15:56:44.0

Reply:

S.No	ActionTaken
1	Works for provision of station name indication boards will be taken up in the current year i.e., 2010-11.

2. I have been discussing about the coach guidance boards in this blog. These are well lit boards which indicate the actual position where respective coach will stop, much before the arrival of train. Though tenders were called last may, they were not yet installed in Ctr station. So I took up this matter as a complaint. 

Complaint : Sir, the coach indication boards for which tenders were called last year have not yet been installed at chittoor station. Pls take necessary action

Registration Id : '1005250020'    Time stamp : 2010-05-25 21:34:44.0

Reply:

S.No	ActionTaken
1	Works sanctioned in LSWP. Tender discharged. But works were stalled due to ongoing cover over platform works. Coach  guidance and at a glance info LED boards Will be provided by Nov.10.

So by nov 2010 our station will have much better amenities. 

Some other developmental works taking place in Ctr station are;

3. Cover over platform will be provided fully on platform number 1. 

4. Instead of DMU passengers presently running with 4 bogies, MEMU(main line multiple unit) trains with 7 bogies will be introduced soon. Already test run in this regard is completed. 

5. Cover over platform for 2/3 is going on. But this 2/3 platform will only be partially covered. 

6. Second foot over bridge will be constructed on south side of station. 

7. Rs 3.8 crores have been allotted to chittoor to make it a model station. These funds will be spent on beautification, signages, drinking water, and platform improvement. 

8. But there is one absurd plan to build a water pipeline from siddampalli station to Ctr station. Instead of wasting Money on 12 km of pipeline, they can just drill some borewells on any railway land much nearer to chittoor and better utilize saved Money on other amenities.

   

PS: if any one of you have been a regular passenger from ctr station, and wants to solve or bring to notice some genuine problem or any facility in Ctr station, you can do it by SMS ing to this no.

 

8121281212

Believe me. This really works and u will have apt response within a week. 

* presently I request you to SMS to 8121281212 about the slippery edge of platform were anti skid tiles are to be provided &

Atleast a passenger train to chennai frm Ctr.

 

Kindly do it friends. Atleast we can feel that we have done something for Ctr. Kindly inform me once you get response. 

ctrivenkatesh@gmail.com 

A LETTER TO THE RAILWAYS.

Few days back I have written a letter to the railways regarding the facilities and problems in chittoor railway station and got the reply. Take a look

I wrote:

“Sir,
It is to bring to your notice about severe problems being faced by passengers in Chittoor (CTO) railway station.
1. With electrification and diverting of number of north-south bound long distance trains, the facilities at the station remain the same. First of all the signage indicating station name or not proper on platforms 2/3. No one can identify the station name unless u get down to platform and check for the age old british style station name attached to electric pole. Why are new diamond shaped orange on white display boards not provided, and they are not going to cost a lot.

2. Why there are no platform shelters on platforms 2/3. Though work is started it is going in a snail’s pace. sir i have witnessed no of passengers including women ,waiting impatiently under scorching sun and sometimes rain with their children and luggage in hands, many a times seen cursing the authorities for their fate.

3. Ypr-howrah, Rameshwaram-Okha and cape-cstm(one way) are presently not having stoppage at cto. We request you to provide the stoppage for these trains as soon as possible for the benefit of passengers from chittoor. Okha express is imp for all those who travel to shirdi.

4. Sir, it has been a long standing demand of the residents of chittoor to extend the FOB towards bus station. Chittoor being an important transit point for 3 states(one of the biggest busstations in AP), many a people get down at cto station and travel to their respective destn by bus. Just because of not extending the FOB to another platform, they have to travel a round about of 3 kms or pay Autos an amount 0f 20-40 Rs.

5. Lastly, as the express trains stop just for a minute or two it is getting very difficult for us to find out the coach position. Most of the long distance trains arrive at night and present coach indicator boards are never lit or never correct. With increasing revenues from cto station plus consider installing LED based coach indicators, at least on platform 1.

sir, we request you to look in to the matter immediately and bring to the notice of concerned authorities and resolve above problems for the benefit of passengers.”

After 10 days I got the reply from Asst General Manager-South Central Railway, through Asst Divisional Railway Manager –Guntakal:

“Sir,
In reference to AGMs letter cited above pertaining to subject matter, it is informed that

1. Signage boards are essential for passengers to identify the stations easily while on train. These are planned to be provided at Chittoor station by June.

2. Cover Over Platform on 2 & 3: A total length of 55 meters is already planned and foundation work is also completed. This work will be completed by June.

3. Stoppage of Yeshwanthpur-Howrah, Rameshwaram-Okha and Kanyakumari-Mumbai (one way)Express trains at Chittoor: Proposals with justification have already been sent to headquarters office at Secunderabad for consideration as this issue doesn't fall under the purview of division.

4. Already Steel Foot over Bridge connecting PF-1 and PF-2 & 3 is provided at Chittoor. Extension of FOB to the opposite side of the station may cause hindrance for the free movement of Lorries in the loading area. However pathways are provided at both the ends of platforms for easy passage of passengers. Extension of FOB towards new bus stand side will be examined in due course.

5. The works on Train information boards and coach guidance/coach indication boards is proposed to be taken up in the next financial year.

Railway administration would like to thank you for bringing important issues of this nature to our notice.

Yours sincerely,
Addl. Divisional Railway Manager, Guntakal.”

More over tenders have been called on 02-04-2009(Indian Express, Deccan Chronicle) for installing electronic LED based coach guidance boards in Chittoor and Kodur(Kadapa Dist). Tenders have been finalised and allotted on 11-05-09.

What do you say folks? See, proper representation and questioning itself can do some works. Then what are our elected representatives doing?
Let us hope all Govt departments are as responsible as railways.

Venkatesh Chitturi.

Chittoor railway station is now "A" Class

Now chittoor railway station is officially A Class.This was declared by the senior divisional commercial manager after he inspected the financial records and earnings.
In indian railway classification any station with annual revenue earnings crossing 60 Million is given an A class status.chittoor station earned approx 628 Lakhs or 62.8 millions for 2008-09.With this up gradation of class chittoor station will now get more facilities like ac waiting rooms,improved platforms etc etc.Chittoor Railway station always had the potential as it is the confluence point for 3 states. now lets wish new trains like ctr-chennai and ctr- bangalore will see the light in the coming budget.