DHARMAPURI: Residents of Dharmapuri urged the South Western Railways to operate a MEMU train in the evening, for the welfare of people working in Hosur and Bengaluru.
The Dharmapuri, Palacode, Royakottai to Hosur railway junction falls under the South Western Railways. As thousands of laborers from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri travel to Bengaluru on a daily basis, the MEMU train between Dharmapuri and Bengaluru, along with the Salem intercity express, helps such workers travel to Hosur and Bengaluru.
However, in the evenings, there are no trains, causing difficulties for those returning home. Hence, locals urged the Railways to take steps to operate MEMU train from Dharmapuri to Bengaluru in the evening.
Railway Passenger Social Welfare Association (RPSWA) district secretary Mathialagan said, "Everyday, labourers from Dharmapuri, Salem and Krishnagiri district travel in droves to Bengaluru for work. While most are for labour work, there are many working in IT and other sectors. The lack of trains in the evening to Bengaluru has significantly impacted many labourers, college students and officegoers."
A resident of Dharmapuri, S Kumaresan, said, "Most labourers work in shifts similar to officegoers, and there are a significant number of people who work in evening shifts. So we need a train between Dharmapuri and Bengaluru in the evening. It will be extremely beneficial for college students also who are commuting to and fro on buses where the journey is more arduous because of the extreme traffic."
Karu Balan, treasurer of the RPSWA said, "There are no trains connecting Dharmapuri and Bengaluru after 2 pm. Trains are a necessity."
Officials in the South Western Railways said, "We will forward the request to the regional office in Karnataka."