CHENNAI: Even as the DMK, AIADMK and BJP have undertaken initiatives as part of pre-election preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a focus on southern Tamil Nadu, the railway board has approved six long-pending requests.
These requests, which were pending for three to four years, include an extension of trains and the introduction of new trains to serve southern and central regions. The Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat will also be introduced soon.
According to the railway board directive dated August 16, the Palakkad-Tirunelveli Palaruvi Express will be extended to Thoothukudi, and the Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai Amritha Express will run up to Rameswaram.
The proposal for extending the Amritha Express to Rameswaram was put forth in 2019. While construction of the new Pamban bridge is still in progress, the Amritha Express was initially intended to terminate at Mandapam station for a few months.
Sources said the extension of Palaruvi Express, will provide direct train connectivity for Thoothukudi residents to Kerala. Further, the railway board has given green signal for two new trains — the Velankanni-Ernakulam biweekly express and the Kollam-Tirupati biweekly express.
The biweekly train is scheduled to depart from Ernakulam on Mondays and Saturdays, arriving at Velankanni the next day. It will leave Velankanni on Tuesdays and Sundays, reaching Ernakulam the following day. The trains will run through Kottayam, Tiruvalla, Kollam, Sengottai, Sivakasi, Virudhunagar, Karaikudi, Pattukottai and Thiruvarur.
The Kollam-Tirupati Express will operate from Kollam on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and from Tirupati on Tuesdays and Fridays. It will pass through Chittoor, Katpadi, Salem, Erode, Aluva and Kayamkulam.
Additionally, the proposal to merge three passenger trains — the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruchy, Tiruchy-Karur and Karur-Salem routes — into a single express train from Mayiladuthurai to Salem has also received approval. The train departing from Mayiladuthurai at 6.30 am will arrive in Salem at 1.45 pm. The return journey will start at 2.05 pm, reaching Mayiladuthurai at 9.45 pm.
The amalgamation of the Punalur - Guruvayur Express with the Madurai - Sengottai passenger and Sengottai - Kollam Express has also been sanctioned. Now it will run as a daily express service from Madurai to Guruvayur via Sengottai and Punalur. Dates for implementing the extension and introducing the new trains will be announced shortly. “The Chennai - Tirunelveli VB Express work is in the final stages and will be introduced soon,” an official said.
ON TRACK