Southern Railway on Monday restored audio announcements in the MGR Chennai Central station (Central Railway Station), which was suspended on February 26. The station was designated a “silent railway station” on a trial basis.
Officials said that the decision was taken because announcements about train information and advertisements created excessive noise, leading to multiple complaints from passengers.
However, the decision to go silent attracted sharp criticism and several disability advocacy groups petitioned the Railways seeking restoration of the announcements. On Monday, a group of persons with disabilities staged a protest in front of Central station demanding the same.
As a result, the audio and visual systems have since been streamlined, and the silent station trial has been withdrawn, said a press release from Railways.
