COIMBATORE: The Southern Railways has been urged to introduce Coimbatore-Tiruchendur special train in view of the Vaikasi Visakam festival on which Lord Murugan's birthday is marked.
In a letter to the Southern Railway General Manager RN Singh, Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan requested a special train on May 22 to facilitate smooth travel for devotees.
"The festival is being celebrated with great fervour in the Tiruchendur region, attracting a large number of devotees from across the state including Coimbatore. The existing train services are inadequate to accommodate the surge in passengers during this period, but the operation of a special train to Tiruchendur is necessary."
Pollachi MLA V Jayaraman said "Introducing the train to Tiruchendur via Kinathukkadavu and Pollachi railway stations would greatly benefit the people of my constituency as a large number of people would be attending the festival at the temple.
The special train should be operated from May 17 to May 25 and it would be helpful to reduce the burden of the existing trains and provide additional travel options for passengers.
Welfare Association of Rail Passengers (Coimbatore-Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul) President S Devadass wanted the special train to be operated on May 22.