CHENNAI: Nearly 11 months after withdrawing the fast local service in Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu section, the Southern Railway has decided to resume the services from June 1.
According to official statement, a total seven fast locals will be introduced from Saturday onwards in Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu section. Four locals connecting Chengalpattu with Chennai Beach and two locals from Thirumalpur to Chennai Beach will be operated during morning rush hour. And, one train from Chennai Beach to Thirumalpur will be operated during the evening rush hour.
The Chennai Egmore-Puducherry Express which was extended to run from Chennai Beach will be operated from Chennai Egmore from June 1. The train will leave Egmore for Puducherry at 9.30 am and in the return direction, the train from Puducherry will be terminated at Egmore at 6.10 pm.
On June 24 last year, rail passengers, who travelled hanging on the foot-board of a fully crowded Chennai Beach-Thirumalpur suburban train, were hit by the concrete fence between platforms 3 and 4 at St Thomas Mount. In this incident, five passengers who fell down on the tracks were killed and four others injured.
The incident forced the Railways to cancel the fast locals operated in Chennai Beach- Chengalpattu sections.
Since then the Southern Railway had been under extreme pressure to resume the train services on fast lines due to passengers’ frequent protest.
Though railway officials claimed that there was no infringement on the tracks, the RTI data obtained by Express revealed that the distance between the centre of track and concrete wall was only 2.24 metres at St Thomas Mount as against the mandatory distance of 2.26 metres distance.
Followed by this, Railways trimmed a portion of the St. Thomas Mount station platform and realigned the fast tracks.