THOOTHUKUDI: In return for their service towards passengers, who were stranded on a train amid a heavy spell of rain on December 18, villagers of Thathankulam panchayat have requested that the railways raise the platform of the local station and provide a stop for the Palakkad Express. The locals also said that three railway staff be honoured for relaying information about the washing away of tracks.
When the Chendur Express was stopped mid-way at Srivaikuntam railway station, on late December 17, the passengers remained in their coaches for three days. After food stock reached its limit, they were compelled to walk eight km on the tracks to reach the nearby Thathankulam station. The people of Thathankulam, especially Sundar, Kannan, Ruthammal, and Selvi received the passengers and arranged for their accommodation at Seithunganallur, and offered food.
In honour of their service, the southern railways awarded the village an appreciation of Rs 15,000. "We did it for a humanitarian cause, and not for any appreciation. If we receive the cash, our service would go in vain," Sundar said. They donated the cash to the Chief Minister's General Relief Fund in the presence of Collector G Lakshmipathy, Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Corporation Commissioner NP Jegan Periyasamy, and others.
Writer Muthalankurichi Kamarasu, who led the people to the Collectorate, said that instead of cash reward, they requested the railways to provide a stop for Palakkad Express at Thathankulam station, in addition to raising the platform to accommodate express trains.
Meanwhile, the villagers have urged the Indian railways to honour three railway staff - Krishnaperumal of Arasarkulam, Selvakumar of B Koilpathu of Seithunganallur, and Vignesh of Nagercoil - railway track monitoring staff, whose timely intimation about the erosion of tracks to the station masters helped in stopping the train at Srivaikuntam station, thereby saving the lives of 800 passengers. The tracks were washed away for 12 km from Srivaikuntam. However, only Selvakumar was honoured.