CHENNAI: After eight long months, Chennai sub-urban train services were thrown open to the public on Wednesday, bringing cheer to daily commuters. The Railway’s decision has brought much relief to thousands of employees working in private companies, daily wage labourers, college students, and workers from unorganised sector residing in Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, and Vellore districts.
Although the metro train services resumed two months ago, the railways did not allow sub-urban trains for all commuters. Initially, employees of essential service sectors were allowed to travel in sub-urban trains, which were rechristened as ‘workmen specials’.
A few weeks later, women were also permitted to travel during non-peak hours. On December 7, after the state government reopened the colleges for final-year students, suspension of train services had put many of them in a tough situation. On December 9, The New Indian Express published a report highlighting the plight of students. Following this, the railways relaxed the peak hour restrictions for female students, enabling them to travel during morning hours.
On the first day of resumption, Wednesday, the public was allowed to travel in workmen specials except during peak hours - from 7.00 am to 9.30 am and 4.30 pm to 7 pm. The passengers were given only single journey one-way tickets. During non-peak hours, trains were operated with only a handful of passengers. Workers from the unorganised sector, coming from Arakkonam and nearby villages, who lost their livelihood due to lack of train services, have welcomed the move.
S Murugan, a painter, who regularly travels from Arakkonam to Guindy for painting jobs, said his earning has come down to less than 20 per cent in the last eight months. However, college students demanded that peak-hour restrictions be removed to facilitate them to use train services. A senior railway official said further relaxations would be notified upon obtaining approval from Railway Board.