Users protest ‘frequent delay’ of trains

Karur: Tension prevailed at the Kulithalai railway station in Karur district on Friday after passengers blocked a train protesting frequent delays of passenger trains. Protesters said trains operated from Salem to Trichy and from Trichy to Erode, both scheduled to arrive at 8.10am, have been reaching Kulithalai nearly an hour late for the past three months. This has severely affected more than 2,000 daily passengers, including textile workers commuting to Karur, govt staff, and students, forcing many to report late to work and educational institutions, they said. Passengers said repeated complaints to the authorities had yielded no results and alleged that delays were due to prioritisation of premium services. When the Salem–Trichy passenger train arrived on Friday, commuters stopped the train and took part in a sit-in protest on the tracks. Railway police and Kulithalai DSP Senthilkumar assured corrective measures, following which the protest was withdrawn and train services resumed.