A special train to Madurai left Egmore railway station with near empty coaches on Wednesday. Though the six reserved compartments were full, about 70 per cent of the seats remained vacant in the 14 unreserved coaches.
The train left from Egmore at 10.50 am, had one emptycompartment, while three other coaches were occupied with just 10 passengers. Only the last three unreserved compartments attached to the rear end of the train had full occupancy.
The special train was announced to ease crowd in other trains after the festive season. “I was informed at the ticket counter that a special train is leaving to Madurai before the Vaigai Express. I was not aware that such a special train was available,” Gowrishankar, a native of Chennai said.
People were seen excited to board the train, as south bound trains are usually crowded. “There were times when I had travelled without a seat throughout my journey to Tirunelveli. But, today it is surprising to see the deserted compartments,” a passenger said.
A railway official said, however, said, “The special train had reported occupancy of anywhere between 30 to 40 per cent in unreserved compartments.”