Rail users of Nagapattinam, Karaikal, and Velankanni press for direct trains to western and southern districts

Rail users’ associations have sought a direct train early in the morning between either Karaikal or Velankanni and Tiruchi and also Villupuram-Tiruvarur train to Karaikal or Velankanni

Published - May 02, 2024 05:40 pm IST - TIRUCHI

Repeated requests for trains to Madurai, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli from Velankanni, Karaikal or Nagapattinam have been ignored, says rail users’ associations.

Repeated requests for trains to Madurai, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli from Velankanni, Karaikal or Nagapattinam have been ignored, says rail users’ associations. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Absence of direct trains from Karaikal, Nagapattinam, and Velankanni to key destinations in southern and western districts of Tamil Nadu remains a major concern for people of the coastal towns. 

Repeated demands seeking the introduction of rail services to Madurai, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli from any of the above towns are yet to be considered, say travellers. 

Karaikal, Nagore, Velankanni, and Tirunallar are major pilgrimage centres attracting devotees from various parts of Tamil Nadu besides those from other States as well. However, none of these towns have direct rail services to Madurai, Erode, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli, said S. Mohan, president, Nagore Nagapattinam Rail Users’ Association. 

In the absence of direct trains to western and southern districts, travellers from these coastal towns have to take buses or reach those stations which have connectivity with major cities in the southern and western districts, said Mr. Mohan.

Although inter-State express trains such as Karaikal-Ernakulam, Karaikal-Bengaluru, Velankanni-Ernakulam, Velankanni-Vasco da Gama, and Karaikal-Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Terminal are operated, there are no daily services to major destinations in southern and western districts from this part of the region, he said.

The Tiruchi Railway Division had proposed to extend the Erode-Tiruchi-Erode train to Karaikal via Nagapattinam and Nagore. However, the proposal was yet to be implemented pending approval from the Railway Board, New Delhi, Mr. Mohan said. 

Travellers of Nagapattinam, Nagore, Karaikal, and Velankanni were eagerly awaiting the extension of this train as it would provide connection to the daily Tiruchi-Thiruvananthapuram-Tiruchi Intercity express that runs via Dindigul, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Nagercoil.

The railways could operate an early morning train from either Karaikal or Velankanni to Tiruchi to help passengers boarding the Tiruchi-Thiruvananthapuram Intercity express if the extension of the Erode-Tiruchi service up to Karaikal was not possible.

The Nagore-Nagapattinam Rail Users’ Association secretary M.M.A.A. Sithiq said despite repeated requests, the railway officials had not considered the legitimate demands of the travellers in the last four years. People of Nagapattinam, Nagore, Velankanni, and Karaikal were the worst hit in the absence of proper train services on this stretch, he said in a recent memorandum to the Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi.

The association has requested the Tiruchi Railway Division to consider the extension of the Villupuram-Tiruvarur-Villupuram services via Mayiladuthurai up to either Nagapattinam or Karaikal or Velankanni. 

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.