Papanasam seeks stoppage for trains

PAPANASAM: The long-pending demand of the people of Papanasam in Thanjavur district to provide a stoppage for the Chennai - Tiruchendur Express is yet to be fulfilled by the Indian Railways despite the fact that this railway station is a connecting point to several tourist places and temples.
"Due to demand from people of the delta district, the Chennai - Tiruchendur Express was introduced.But it is of no use for the people of Papanasam and the tourists visiting the temples in the area as the train does not halt here," lamented T Saravanan, secretary of Train Passengers Association, Papanasam.
To add to the passengers' woes, the Chennai - Rameswaram Express, which used to halt when it was operated on the metre gauge line, started skipping the station after the gauge conversion. Due to this, the commuters are forced to travel either to Kumbakonam (18-km) or Thanjavur (50-km) to board a train or bus to Rameswaram.
Previously, all express and passenger trains crossing Papanasam station used to halt until the gauge conversion work commenced in the year 2000. The Chennai - Rameswaram Express, Chennai - Thanjavur Cholan Express , Madurai - Tirupathi Express and a fast passenger from Sengottai all had stoppages before the track conversion.
After the completion of the broad gauge in2003, train services on this section resumed in 2004 but Papanasam was neglected as most of these trains were made to skip the station, said Saravanan.
As a result of the continuous demands to the railways, the people and the association succeeded in making Cholan Express and the Rockfort Express trains halt in Papanasam. But their effort to make other trains halt here have gone in vain.
"We have been representing the problems to the railway authorities and politicians, but the problem is yet to be solved so far," said G Kumar, treasurer of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Thanjavur.