CHENNAI: It has been over 13 years since the railway line from Nagapattinam to Velankanni was converted to broad gauge (BG) and thrown open for service. However, a daily service from Chennai to Velankanni, a popular pilgrimage and tourist destination in the delta district, remains a distant dream.
The absence of a direct train from Chennai to Velankanni compels thousands of tourists and devotees to opt for buses and alternative modes of transportation during the summer vacation and festival seasons.
Although the southern railway officials said summer special trains to Velankanni will soon be announced, they remain tight-lipped on the introduction of regular daily service from Chennai. Regular visitors said crores of money was spent for the broad gauge conversion work to Velankanni, yet the section remains under utilised without a daily service from Chennai or other major destinations.
From April through January, the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health at Velankanni receives lakhs of footfalls from Chennai and other parts of the state. Currently, rail users from Chennai and neighbouring districts rely on the Chennai Egmore - Karaikkal Kamban Express to reach Velankanni. However, they have to get down at Nagapattinam at 3.40am and then board the Nagapattinam - Velankanni DEMU passenger train at 4.30am in order to reach Velankanni, which is located 11.5 km away from Nagapattinam.
The Chennai Egmore - Karaikudi/Nagore Kamban express was in operation during the meter gauge era. The broad gauge version of the Kamban express was introduced in 2010 from Chennai Egmore to Karaikkal, but not reinstated till Karaikudi since the broad gauge conversion works on the Tiruvarur - Karaikudi section was not completed then.
Three years after launching the broad gauge version of Kamban Express, in July 2013, slip coaches for Velankanni were introduced. Five coaches of the express were detached at Nagapattinam and sent to Velankanni, while the remaining rake proceeded to Karaikal.
However, the services to Velankanni remained erratic and were often cancelled due to various reasons.
Following fervent pleas from tourists and locals, the slip coaches of the express were reinstated in early 2019, but were discontinued again in 2022 as the railway board has taken a policy decision to end the operation of slip coaches.
For passengers, disembarking at Nagapattinam at 3.40am is a huge inconvenience. “We often travel to the pilgrimage site as a family comprising 6 to 10 persons. It subjects all of us to hardships, including children and the elderly,” said S Peter Arokiyaraj, a school teacher from Kancheepuram.
Another frequent visitor to Velankanni, Antony Michealraj of Korattur, said, “The CAG audit should have held railway officials accountable for not utilising Nagapattinam–Velankanni broad gauge line despite substantial public expenditure. It only indicates a lack of accountability in railway administration.”