Trains to West Bengal packed as workers head home to vote

Chennai: West Bengal-bound trains from the city are packed as guest workers head home ahead of assembly polls on April 23 and 29. On Thursday evening,families from across West Bengal, working in and around the city, crowded Central railway station. As the Howrah Mail pulled in, railway protection force personnel made passengers queue up before boarding four unreserved coaches. "We are going home to vote and spend time with our families. We will return only after a month," said Chinmay Dholai, a passenger. Rajiv from Kharagpur said he would return sooner. "I work at a juice shop in Palavakkam. I will come back in 15 days," he said. Railway protection force personnel also advised travellers on safety precautions. A railway official said Coromandel Express (morning) and Howrah Mail (evening) have been carrying large numbers of workers since Monday.