COIMBATORE: Amidst the soaring demand for better train connectivity between Coimbatore and southern districts, a recent RTI reply from the Southern Railway shows that the Mettupalayam to Tirunelveli overnight special train, on Fridays, generated 42.14 lakh between April 21 and July 2. The Tirunelveli to Mettupalayam train, on Thursdays, generated 37.98 lakh.
Despite having good patronage for the service, railway had announced that the service will end by August 18. As many as 8,380 passengers travelled on the Mettupalayam to Tirunelveli train and 7,814 travelled on the Tirunelveli to Mettupalayam train in two months.
“In just 10 services during the two-and-a-half-month period, the service benefited 16,194 passengers. The service, which was stopped on July 1, resumed on July 21, but will end by August 18,” said R Pandiaraja, a members of the divisional railway users consultative committee (DRUCC), who filed the RTI query.
The train that passes via Tenkasi has stoppages at Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Oddanchathiram, Palani, Udumalpet, Pollachi, Podanur and Coimbatore railway stations. “Rakes of the special train were considered ‘lie-over’ rake, which means that it is being operated only for a few days a week. This was why the special train was introduced to make use of the idle rakes,” Pandiaraja added.
DRUCC member K Jayaraj urged the Southern Railway to resume the service to benefit more passengers. “Currently, there are two services from Coimbatore to Tirunelveli via Karur and one weekly service. But the Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam-Tirunelveli special train that passes through Tenkasi is the shortest route. It is unfortunate that the Southern Railway is bringing down the curtain on the train. It should be regularised in the new train timetable.”