CHENNAI: If you are planning to travel by Kovai Express between Salem and Chennai, you now have a reason to rejoice. Southern Railway is set to increase the second class seats, earmarked under pooled quota reservation, from 300 to 400 in Kovai Express between Salem and Chennai.
The Kovai Express has general quota ticket allocation between Chennai and Salem/Tiruppur/Coimbatore. With the increasing number of passengers from Coimbatore to Chennai during weekends in Kovai Express, the Southern Railway downgraded the Salem station from general quota to pooled quota from July 2017. It reduced second class ticket allocation to 300 in Salem–Chennai route. As a result, passengers travelling from Salem to Chennai could not get confirmed tickets.
In his request, K Baskar, member of Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee, Chennai, a regular in Kovai Express, said even as the tickets from Salem to Chennai gets waiting list, there were about 400 tickets available in general quota from Coimbatore-Chennai. The Southern Railway decided to increase the seats based on his complaint. “The AC class seats will also be increased to 30,” said a railway official.