Mohali station gets facelift, but passengers flag poor security, lack of basic amenities
As redevelopment work continues at Mohali Railway Station under the Centre's Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, daily passengers have raised serious concerns over inadequate safety, poor sanitation, and the lack of functional amenities — particularly for women and differently abled commuters.
The station, part of Northern Railway's Ambala division, handles over 2,000 passengers a day and is a scheduled stop for 30 trains, while 12 trains pass through without halting. Services include Mail Express, Jan Shatabdi, SuperFast, MEMU, and DEMU trains.
As part of the revamp, platform lengths have been extended from 405 to 605 metres, a 12-metre-wide foot overbridge is under construction, and a 2,600 square metre green zone has been developed, featuring a 100-foot-high Indian flag. The new station design draws inspiration from the nearby Amb Sahib Gurdwara. Other upgrades include digital signage, expanded parking facilities — 1,400 sq m for two-wheelers and 1,500 sq m for four-wheelers — and a water harvesting system. Each platform now has 20 dustbins and is serviced by food and tea kiosks.
Despite these infrastructural improvements, passengers say the station lacks basic functionality and security, especially after dark. 'Yahan raat ko akele aane mein dar lagta hai (It's scary to come here alone at night),' said Sunita Kumar, a daily commuter who often returns late. The station has no RPF or CRPF deployment, no women security staff, and no security booth. Only the station master is on duty during night hours.
Currently, just two CCTV cameras monitor the entire premises, with footage stored remotely at Rajpura — 60 km away. Authorities have proposed adding 14 more cameras, but there is no timeline for their installation.
Sanitation is another weak link. Only one janitor, Ram Balak Ram — known locally as Patel — is responsible for cleaning the entire station. 'Tez bukhaar mein bhi akele saara kaam karta hoon (Even when I have a high fever, I manage all the cleaning alone),' he said.
Amenities also fall short. Passengers report patchy WiFi coverage and only one water cooler serving both platforms. While a lift and ramps for differently abled persons have been installed, commuters say they are frequently non-functional. Although dedicated parking exists for Divyangjan, the absence of support staff renders these spaces nearly unusable.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, admitted that the pace of improvements was not in line with expectations. Passengers argue that unless the station hires more cleaning staff, deploys women security personnel, sets up an on-site information centre, and ensures consistent access to water, WiFi, and sanitation, the redevelopment will remain cosmetic.
'Without these essentials,' said one commuter. 'The station may look modern, but it still feels unsafe and under-equipped.'
(The writer is an intern with The Indian Express.)
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